Owari
by skittles88
Summary: 10 friends travel to a new world where fantasy is no longer fiction. To find his companions, Sukotto must travel across the Tears into different worlds of fiction. Anime, Manga and Video Game crossover. Currently in Final Fantasy World. With MOOGLES!
1. An Almost Normal Day

_For those of you reading this for the first time, I thank you for taking interest in my work. I think I explained it decently in the summary (and my profile, if you looked), so I won't do it here. Call me lazy, if you like; I prefer the term "time-efficient." The bulk of these charcters are actual people with psuedonoms, so if their personalities seem very round, that's why. Don't worry about saying something about them in the reviews: I won't tell if you won't._

_This chapter has been updated. As in, this ain't the original. It was posted on Apr. 20, 2007._

_For those of you checking out the update, I kept most of the things in it, with a few symbolism type-dealies in there to make it seem like I'm one of those big-time authors who put things into stories so LA teachers can say, "Now, Skittles, what is the message or hint that the author gives us when he gives his charcter the name Huckleberry?"_

_"... His parents really didn't like him?" F for Skittles._

_Enjoy Owari!_

_

* * *

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_The power of friendship… _

_The strength that one can endure when held strong by this strange power… _

_The miracles that this magic can bring to life… _

_The unbreakable bond, the eternal promises, _

_The memories that last throughout time… _

_This is our tale, my friends' and mine… _

_Don't ever forget… _

A teenage boy tossed in his bed, his breathing coming out in short gasps. The voice in his dreams echoed strangely.

_Don't forget me… _

A form appeared before him, reaching out with a cold, pale hand, crying out to him…

_Help me… Save me… _

The form disappeared into the darkness, and the boy felt it eating away at him as well. He let loose a scream. It was lost to the mist. A strange mist that filled his vision and pressed in on him from all sides.. It crept into his head, slowing his mind, making the ground beneath him spin out of contorl.. He fell into the dark clouds around him, slowly drowning in the void-

"NO!"

Suchuwa Sukotto attacked his alarm clock, clutching it to his chest as though his life depended on it. "Don't let me-" He opened his eyes, slowly coming to the realisation that he was safe in his small bedroom, away from the terrifying darkness from his dream. Regaining his senses, he suddenly became aware of a loud ringing sound. He looked at his clock, which he had inadvertently fell on and crushed. _Oops._

He checked himself over. His blond hair was in a tangled mess, his fifteen-year-old body lightly frosted with sweat, his toes cold from having left his window open all night. In front of him, a smaller form stirred, starting to awaken. _And Bobi's up, too._ He glanced to the remains of his alarm clock. _Well, it was broken anyway- the alarm wasn't supposed to ring for another hour._

Knowing that any attempt to sleep was futile at this point, he prepared himself for another day at school. He prepared himself a big breakfast, figuring he'd need the energy for what was sure to be a long day. He ran back to his room and fitted his scarlet school blazer over a white T-shirt and grey dress pants, leaving the front unbuttoned to his preference. Finally attacking his hair with a comb and his teeth with a brush, he smiled at his reflection. He turned and walked out of the bathroom-

Straight into a short, black-haired monster. Sukotto screamed for the second time that morning, but stopped when he recognised the "monster" to be his younger brother, Suchuwa Bobi.

"Sorry about the clock, Bobi." Sukotto bonked him on the head and ruffled his hair. "There's still some oatmeal downstairs, if you want it." Bobi mumbled something inaudible, and slowly lurched his way downstairs into the kitchen. Needless to say, he wasn't much of a morning person.

Sukotto grabbed his backpack, said a quick good-bye to his groggy brother, and set off to the bus stop, plugging his headphones into his iPod and whistling his favourite songs. A light layer of mist clung to the road, giving the area a mysterious, magical look to it. The leaves of all the trees and all the neighbouring lawns were a beautiful green colour, and many buds and blossoms littered their bushes and flowerbeds. Yes, after a cold, boring, white winter, the exciting new spring was into full bloom. Sukotto hated the cold, and the changing of the seasons found him in a very good mood.

By the time he had reached his half-way point, his earlier nightmare had faded away to a mere shadow of a memory.

---

As he hummed a particularly upbeat song, Sukotto admired the mist around him. He sighed happily. _I love mornings like this! It's like I'm in a video game! _He squealed with delight. _I might even run into a monster!_ He laughed, his good mood now a warm fire in his chest. He looked up to the sky, admiring the seemingly extra-fluffy clouds that littered it. He returned his gaze to the road in front of him, and then quickly did a double-take. Something had glinted above him.

He saw the glint again. Something was in the sky, and as Sukotto shielded his eyes against the sun, he realised that this "something" was falling down to Earth... _It almost looks like it's headed this way..._

He screamed and dove out of the way. The object slammed into the ground, marking the exact spot he had been standing only seconds before. A charred crater remained of the impact, smoke rising from the broken concrete. Sukotto gulped. _It... it almost hit me! _

Cautiously walking over to the smouldering hole, Sukotto peered inside it. The same glint from before was now visible from inside the hole. Feeling slightly braver, Sukotto slowly craweled towards the crater. He reached inside and pulled out the object.

It was a small figurine, no bigger than a cigarette lighter. The statue itself depicted an intricate gargoyle standing on a small base, carved flawlessly out of amethyst. The eyes of the miniature giant were its most captivating feature; for some reason, its unmoving gaze seemed to pierce right through Sukotto. Feeling a little uneasy, Sukotto turned the statue around. He noticed a small symbol carved into the bottom of the base; two circles, the smaller inside of the larger.

Sukotto thought for a moment. _This thing must be worth a fortune… but I'd have a little trouble telling any buyer that it fell from the sky… and my parents would probably notice if I was suddenly a millionaire. If I told them where I got it, they'd probably lock me up in a rubber room… _

Sukotto shrugged. _Well, I guess it could've gotten caught by a gust of wind or something. I'll just keep it safe until someone puts up a poster. _He pocketed the figurine and turned back to the crash site. _That should make for an interesting news story._ With that thought, Sukotto continued his walk. A walk which quickly changed to a full-out dash when he checked his watch and found himself late.

---

He arrived at the bus stop just in time, huffing as he fiddled in his backpack for his pass. With a tired "Ah-HAH!", he flashed the card to the driver, who nodded him on the bus. Shoving the pass back into a random pocket of his pack, he walked to the back of the bus and sat down.

After a breif rustling of papers, the boy (with a slightly darker skin tone) next to him handed him a folded piece of paper. "Check it out!" Sukotto unfolded the paper. Two detailed swords had been drawn and coloured on the sheet, a red rapier and a large blue broadsword.

"What do you think?"Guran Saimon indicated to the drawing. "The red one's got the sun on its hilt, there. It's so sharp, you wouldn't even feel the cut." He pointed to the other. "This one has the moon, and it can crush any shield with a single swing!" He puffed out his chest, placing his hands behind his head, onto his short red hair. "They're my MASTERPIECES!"

"How long did these take you to draw?" Sukotto asked, a hint of admiration in his voice.

"All of Math class."

Sukotto groaned, handing the drawing back to Saimon. "You know, you really should start paying more attention in class. All your masterpieces are going to get you in trouble one day."

"Ah..." Saimon hung his head. "Actually, I'm probably gonna get a detention from Natsuki-san today. I forgot to do my homework, and my she's starting to get a little fed up over it."

Sukotto rolled his eyes. "See?"

Saimon rolled his scarlet eyes. "Well, sorry that I can draw, Stickman-san"

Sukotto gave him a punch on the arm. "I happen to be very attached to my stickmen, thank you." He laughed. "So, are we still going to meet at the park after dinner?"

"Yeah, I'll be free by then. Unless my mom grounds me."

Sukotto laughed again, and then rang the bell for the next stop. The two boys got off the bus and began the rest of the walk to school. Saimon started talking about his new Kingdom Hearts strategy, but Sukotto wasn't paying attention. It was a Monday, and there were no holidays until April, but something in his gut told him it would be a while before he set foot on this rod again.

---

_What do you think? Brilliant? Inspiring? Everything the original wasn't?_

_I wonder how many people will notice the symbolism things I put in... My LA teacher for sure, she's has a shinigami's eyes. Except these ones see the meaning of every word and phrase floating above the page, not my lifespan and real name (_of course, they might work that way too... OMG MY LA TEACHER HAS A DEATH NOTE!)

_I'll be updating the second chapter too (and probably all the chapters that have the script format, I'm told that wasn't too popular_ ("WHAT?! MY HITS DROP FROM 800 TO 40 IN THREE CHAPTERS?! PEOPLE HAVE NO PATIENCE!" "Skittles, no one wants to read the script format. It's dumb." "But writing all the tags and descriptions is boring!" "What a hypocrite..."). _In there, you'll also see which series_ (is the plural of "series" "serieses?" "Serii? "Sheep?")_ I'll be referecning for in Owari, so then you can decide if you know enough of them to move on. XD. I'll try my best to explain everything for those who haven't read so-and-so manga, but I may forget to add a few details. So let me know when I do, 'k??? (Desperate for hits and reviews XD _(I may have accidentally started a contest with my friend... SO HELP ME WIN!!)

_No, I'm joking. I think... (Don't worry about apologizing, they've long since gone to the next chapter by now. No one wants to read my post-chapter drivel.)_

_And now, after a very long foreword and afterword, I release you to future chapters._

_Happy Reading!_


	2. Meet the Crew

_This one promises to be long. I need to do SO much mor charcter development that I didn't plan for in the original. Now, as I can't go adding a chapter in the middle of all these, I'm fitting it into one. So prepare yourself. Grab some snacks, bring a pillow, and for the love of pumpkin pie, go to the bathroom now: I refuse to stop this car for a potty break._

_And so, breaking away from my usual family road trip, I present Chapter Two: Redone on May 11, 2007_

_---_

"I almost broke my perfect record yesterday... I was going through the Cerebrus Cup yesterday and I almost got killed. No matter how hard I mash those buttons, I can't swing fast enough!"

"That's your problem right there; magic. If you end your combos with a Blizzaga or something, you'll have a little time to set up another combo."

"Magic? Please, Sukotto-kun. That just slows the entire battle flow down. It's better to just keep slashing at the guy, get a nice Explosion finisher, and then back off quickly."

"One day," Sukotto told Saimon impatiently, "you'll realise that if you use it at the right time, a single spell can do wonders. Sometimes slowing down is the only way to see something you missed before."

"Says the guy who went through the entire game waiting for his MP gauge to recharge."

"IT WAS WORTH EVERY SECOND OF IT TO SEE STITCH! EVERY SINGLE-"

"MAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Sukotto ducked just in time as a branch of tumbleweed was swung over his head. His assailant had appeared out of nowhere, brandishing the plant like a sword. Saimon rolled his eyes. "You're at it again? You guys need to find something else to do before school." He continued on his path to school. "I'll see you later, then."

Sukotto dropped his backpack to the ground and caught the branch his enemy had thrown to him. Gripping it in his right hand, he flung it down in a wide arc. It met with the other weed, and Sukotto withdrew it, preparing for another attack. He was too late, however; the other fighter had already swung, nearly catching Sukotto in the ribs before he could parry it. The attacker jumped back from his counter-swing, and then moved in again, swinging the tubmbleweed in an extremely complicated dance of barbs and twigs. Sukotto parried them, but soon lost track of the weapon. A quick jab to his hand, and his own weed was sent to the ground.

Sukotto sighed. "Darn it."

His assailiant laughed, tossing her own tumbleweed to the ground. "You still move way too slow. You lost your guard a lot, too. If I had really wanted to kill you, it would've been easy." She began to pick a twig from her platinum blonde hair. "In short, you haven't improved very much."

"Exactly why I make it a point **not** to make people have a death grudge on me." Sukotto picked himself up off the ground. _She looks so much taller when she has a weapon in her hand..._ "How did harp recital go?"

Roren sighed, tossing the twig away after libertating it from her long hair. "I didn't go. Something... came up." She got a very distracted look on her face, and Sukotto gave her an inquisitive look. She caught his stare and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

He shook his head, and the two began to walk again, soon after which they entered a heated debate.

"Look; Tamaki has his Kung Fu stuff. Or Tama-Fu, whatever. The point is, he'd use that against the twins and win easily."

"Not quite. His attacks are good if he's facing a single target, but what would happen if he faced Hikari and Koaru at the same time?"

"He obviously has more techniques that we haven't seen yet. Of course, some of them have to be able to hit two targets at once. Ever heard the phrase "Divide an conquer?"

"Assuming he could divide them, which is unlikely. They'd just mention Haruhi in a bunny suit or something and, while he was running his little Inner Mind Theatre, they'd clobber him."

And so it went on, until the two arrived at school and split to their seperate lockers. Of course, they made sure to yell a closing argument from across the main foyer.

---

As his locker was very close to the gym, and he had arrived very early (as usual), he decided to go check out the archery practice. As he opened the door by the bleachers, one of the archers released an arrow from their bow. It flew across the gym and landed with a resounding "thud" in the bullseye of the target, not surprisingly. The archer smiled, pulling a fresh projectile from her quiver beside her.

Sukotto sat down on the bleachers behind her, when a small noise turned his attention to a girl sitting next to him. She was lying on one of the bleachers, a book resting on her chest. A pair of earphones hung hapharzardly around her neck, and her extremely long silver hair fell down all around her.

"How was swim practice, Jeshika-chan?"

The girl made a small giggle and slowly sat up. "I didn't go this morning." She blushed slightly. "I was staying at Rekku-chan's last night, and we didn't go to bed until later." She yawned. "I slept in and missed it."

Sukotto cocked his head. "That isn't really like you."

"Eh?"

"Well, you usually stay up only to watch the moon, but it was all cloudy yesterday. Dd something come up?"

She blushed more. "Well... um... I-"

"AHH!" Sukotto snapped his head back as an arrow flew right in front of it, landing in the wall beside him. He turned to the archer from earlier, who was coming over to retrieve it. "DOESN'T THE ARCHERY TEAM HAVE SOME SORT OF SAFETY RULES AGAINST THAT, REKKU-CHAN?!"

The raven-haired girl laughed. "Relax, Sukotto-kun. If I had wanted to hit you, I wouldn't have missed."

"Getting just a little cocky, maybe?" Sukotto smirked.

"You know it's true."

"Yeah, well- JESHIKA-CHAN! IT'S REALLY NOT THAT FUNNY!" Jeshika had been trying to scold Rekku-chan and stop herself from laughing at the same time, and was failing dismally at both.

Sukotto handed the arrow back to Rekku. "Please don't use my head as a target, okay?!"

Rekku smiled. "No promises."

Sukotto made to reply, but his cellphone rang at that moment. Realising what this meant, he quickly said goodbye to the Twins (as he called them, because they were always together) and ran into the hallway outside the gym. As expected, two blurs ran past him and around the corner. Following far behind them, a girl with a blonde ponytail and an instrument case slung over her shoulder. Her glasses were slightly askew, and she was panting as she ran up the corrider, weighed down by her heavy load.

"Sukotto-kun..." Samasa began. "Which... way... they go...?"

Sukotto pointed down the hallway, and with a breathless thank you, Samasa hurried off around the corner.

Sukotto waited a moment, and then whispered as loud as he dared. "Alright, Emi-chan, Remikku-chan. She's gone."

Two girls emerged from the opposite corner, having been the two blurs from earlier. Remikku (the shorter) was holding a plastic blue bag with triumph, laughter glittering in her green eyes and shaking her long brown hair. Emi-chan (slightly taller), brushing dyed red hair from her eyes, looked at the bag with anticipation clear on her face.

Remikku smiled. "Operation Steal Sam-chan's Lunch Box of Goodies is a complete success, Tama-chan!" She winked, referring to Sukotto as she usually did.

The three huddled around the lunchbox, taking pride in their acheivement. For a month, the three had been planning this ruse to steal Samasa's lunch bag, which always had a seemingly endless supply of candy and junk food. Samasa, of course, was not one to ignore the power she clearly held over the three, and often made them do ridiculous things for treats, using the ever-so-popular "equivalent exchange" rule as an explanation. Now, the three held the key to a full day's worth of treats without having to worry about fighting over them.

"Open it! Open it!" Emi was ecstatic, jumping up and down. "Come on, guys! I can't wait any longer!"

"Yeah! Let's!" Sukotto nodded to Remikku, who opened the bag. Emi carefully reached inside, smiled, and yanked out-

A large rock. The bag was left empty, save for a note inside it reading "Try Again, Mooches." The three looked from the rock, to the note, to each other, and back again. Emi burst into tears, hugging the rock as a form of consolation. From the other end of the hallway, Samasa returned, laughing tyrannically and swinging the real MaCoy lunch bag. "You guys really should try to be more subtle when you plan these things. I've known about your plan the whole time. No treats for today!"

Sukotto joined Emi in crying, while Remikku bent down to console them. ("Come on, guys. It really isn't that devastating.") When she tried to gently pry the rock away from Emi's iron hard grasp, the bell for first period rang. Making a quick recovery (and with Emi still holding the rock), the group of four said good-bye and headed to their individual classes.

Sukotto got up to the second floor and suddenly felt very tired, remembering all the events of that morning. _My life is way to dramatic... maybe I need to take a vacation or something... (or perhaps I could just have someone less sadistic write this story, says he). Well, I'm sure - AHHHHHHH!_

Sukotto dropped to the ground, a seraing pain filling his right side. Above him, a shorter girl with almond eyes and long cestnut hair crossed her arms. "That's what you get for not coming to Youth Group yesterday!"

Sukotto managed to stand. "What do you mean?! I'm not in your Youth Group!"

Meari put on a look of pure innocence. "Oh yeah! I forgot!"

Sukotto scowled at her. "Not to mention that Maku-kun told me you didn't show up either."

Meari shrugged. "I got distracted by something shiny and didn't go."

"I'll bet." The two continued this pointless argument, walking off to English together.

---

Sukotto had a lot of trouble paying attention in class the next day. He was constantly thinking about the statue in his pocket, bringing it out to look at it every now and then. He just couldn't get it out of his head. Once he got past the dark look of the gargoyle, he found that the figure was captivatingly beautiful, carved rght down to the individual wrinkles in the beasts outstretched fingers. He thought about where it might've come from, who might've made it... _and I kind of want to show it to someone. No sense it keeping it a secret forever. Maybe I'll just leave out the part where it fell from the sky._

Deciding that maybe showing it to Bobi wouldn't be so bad. His brother was 11 years old, and he'd probably be interested in that kind of thing. Picking up his backpack at the last bell, Sukotto hastily made to shove the statue into his pocket.

That's when misfortune intervened, creating what, today, is known as The Unluckiest Event Ever to Happen.

---

_...Stupid Sukotto-kun. I write this just fine, I don't need him... telling me what to do... messing around with... plotlines... nine months..._

_Sukotto: Skittles, I was just kidding. I can't really have someone else right the story; everybody else doesn't get the kind of inspiration we need for this story._

_Skittles: Inspiration?_

_Sukotto: Yeah. The voices in your head, I mean._

_Skittles:... Other people don't get those._

_Sukotto: Oh no._

_Skittles: Fine, I'll forgive you because you're so irresistably attractive._

_Sukotto: Not so bad yourself, Hot Stuff._

_...Ahem. I'm tired. Go to your corner and play with your blocks._

_As for how many chapters I'll be updating... #3, for sure, and also any other one which features the script mode. It ain't popular, folks._

_I'm out._


	3. The Unluckiest Event Ever to Happen

The Facts:

Kishimoto-san, the science teacher, had just finished a science experiment involving baking soda and vinegar. He had the most part cleaned up, but had missed a small patch on the floor.

Emiri-chan (very desperate for sweets and still holding the rock) and Samasa-chan were outside the History classroom, the former begging the latter for the remnants of her juicebox, being held far above Samasa-chan's head.

The twins were walking to afternoon archery practice, Rekkushi-chan carrying a large quiver of arrows.

Remikku-chan was behind Samasa, trying to grab the juicebox, undetected by the junk food tyrant.

Roren-chan was carrying an anime DVD to Remikku-kun, which was in a slippery paper case.

Meari-chan was waiting outside the Science room door to give Sukotto the surprise attack he'd feel for the next three months.

And finally, due to the fact that he was stuffing the small figurine in his pocket, Sukotto wasn't watching were he was going.

The Result:

Sukotto slipped on the fizzy substance while exiting the door.

Meari-chan, leaping at Sukotto to try and poke him, instead flew over him into Roren-chan.

Roren-chan took the weight of Meari-chan's body and, by trying to get a hand on the floor, threw the disc in a shuriken-like fashion towards Reicheru.

Reicheru-chan turned at the commotion and, seeing the projectile, jumped up and caught her precious anime. She succeeded, but failed to detect the presence of Samasa-chan behind her.

Samasa-chan was unexpectedly landed-on from behind, squeezing her juicebox and falling to the ground.

Emiri-chan (reflexes delayed due to lack of blood sugar) was sprayed with a tasty tropical substance, and as she used her arms to block the sticky attack, her rock flew up in the air.

Said rock fell with a thud onto Jeshika's toe, who screamed bloody murder after a brief pause.

Said scream surprised Rekku-chan, who jumped, sending her arrows flying through the air…

…almost impaling the Math teacher. The eight teens looked up from their individual messes as the old teacher shouted

"DETENTION!"

"You ALL got detention at the same time!" Saimon gaped as the disoriented group sat down inside the class. Emiri was Tide-2-Going her shirt free of juice, Jeshika was busy nursing a throbbing toe, Meari, Remikku (holding a broken CD), Samasa (holding a squished juice box) and Roren were all rubbing stiff shoulders and arms from their individual falls, and Sukotto was cleaning fizz off his shoe. "That was… unlucky."

"This sucks!" Rekkushi screamed, throwing a freshly re-gathered quiver of arrows to the ground. "I'm gonna get kicked off the archery team for sure! Two late practices STRAIGHT!" She slammed her fist on the table, which immediately began to throb. "DAMN IT!"

"What the hell did I do!" Roren asked crossly to the teacher, who was on his way out of the classroom. Rather than responding, the teacher told the class he'd be back at 4:30 and left the classroom (locking the door behind him). "This is ridiculous!"

"4:30! That's almost dinner time! I'll die!" Emiri clawed at the door, then collapsed against it, muttering incomprehensible curses.

"Hey… wait a minute…" Remikku interrupted, immersed in thought. "That reminds me…"

"You have food!"

"No, no Emi-chan… Rekku-chan, you were late this morning, weren't you?"

"Uh-huh," Rekkushi nodded.

"And Jeshika-chan, you missed swim practice?"

"Huh? (She had been reading) Oh, yeah, yes I did. I stayed up late last night with Rekku-chan and overslept." She blushed a little.

"And Emiri-chan and Samasa-chan were late, too, am I correct?"

"Uh… er… yeah" A weak sound from Emiri confirmed the same.

"Sukotto-kun, you almost missed the bus this morning…" Saimon added in "but you're usually at the stop pretty early."

"Well, what about you?" Sukotto retorted, unable to think of a believable excuse. "You forgot to do your homework yesterday! Got a reason for that!"

"Uh…. Well… Remikku-chan, have YOU been late for anything?"

"Eh! Oh… I missed a Japanese class yesterday…" She paused, and then looked at Roren and Meari. "Tell me you two haven't missed anything recently."

"I missed Youth Group yesterday!" Meari piped, a small twinkle of interest showing in her eyes.

"I didn't get to harp class… but what does this have to do with anything?"

Reicheru dug into her pocket and pulled out a peridot statue of a butterfly. "Now, does anyone have something like this?"

The room seemed to freeze.

(Going into script mode)

Sukotto: Mine's kinda scary…

Saimon: I got a dragon!

Roren: It's Cerberus, I think…

Jeshika: PHOENIX! OMG it really IS a phoenix! Look! I can see it now! (Starts breathing very heavily)

Rekku: (after calming down Jeshi) Does this look like a griffin to you?

Samasa: Mine's a bat… (Stares from everyone) I mean a LIVING bat, not a baseball bat… jeez…

Emiri: (is moving around strangely) No… matter… where I go… this snake keeps… looking at me…

Meari: … uh… Emi-chan… (She got a lion)

Reicheru: I was right! We all have one! Score one for Remi-chan!

Sam: Enjoy it while it lasts, Remi-chan, that's the only time you'll ever score…

Everyone: OO…

Sukotto: (changing subject hurriedly) So, wait… did everyone's fall from the sky?

Meari: Yup! It almost killed me! (Sounding a little too happy)

Jeshika: No, mine came from a poof!

Saimon: A poof?... (He had tripped over his on the way home.)

Jeshi: Yeah! There was a flash of light… and there was a poof sound (using hands to illustrate) and there it was!

Rekku: Yeah, mine came with hers.

Sam: Found it in my lunch bag while I was making the decoy (noises from Emi + Sukotto).

Emi: Mine was in the rock actually…

Remi: Really?

Emi: Yeah! Luckily I'm such a big mooch! (Triumphant smile)

Sam: That isn't a good thing, Emi-chan.

Roren: Actually, I found mine at the lake. It's weird that no one else had found it before I did….

…but it's mine now! Hee hee hee!

Meari: Although, that IS an interesting point…

Saimon: Hey, yeah! What are the chances that the nine of us would find these, and not some complete strangers?

Everyone: Oo (they hadn't thought about that yet…)

Sukotto: I guess we can rule out practical jokes… destiny sounds a little far-fetched…

Emi: Doesn't anyone else think it's creepy that they keep looking at us!

Everyone stares at Emi, then looks at statue

Jeshika: You know, now that you mention it…

Saimon: Something about the eyes…

Remi: Makes them look almost…

Rekku: …alive…

Everyone: …

Jes: (Hides behind Rekku) OK, OK, that's enough! I'm kinda creeped out here…

Saimon: (mischievous smile) Wait! Shush… do you hear that?

Jes: H-h-h-hear what?

Sai: Sounds like…

Jes: W-w-w-what! (starts shaking, room falls deathly silent)

Sai: It sounds LIKE-(RIIIINNNGGG!)

Everyone: AAAAAHHHHH(drops statues and jumps)

Suk: Ohhh… it's the bell… just the bell

Emi: (Glances at clock) Oh, YES! We're free! FOOD! (Gets prepared to run out of door still locked).

Sam: Should we all go home together then?

Remi: Yeah OK! That'd be-(drops dead silent)

Rekku: Remikku-chan? What'chya looking at… (Follows gaze and gasps)

Roren: (Big, evil smile) This is going to be a freaking awesome day.

(Back to narrative)

Sukotto followed the girls' gaze. His heart skipped a beat. It wasn't long until the rest of the group clued in and stared at the floor where the statues had all dropped. Meari was the first to speak, "This is way too weird to be a coincidence…"

The statues were all face up, each pointing in the exact same direction; to the playground beyond the school soccer field.


	4. Your Story and Magic Words

"'KKOOTTTTOOO-NII-SAAAANNN!" Bobi-kun ran at his brother just as the boy and the other eight prisoners were freed from the school. Bobi jumped and caught Sukotto at the waist, feet hanging above the ground. "Kotto-niisan! Look what I found today!"

Bobi fished his hand into his school bag and pulled out yet another statue. This one showed a chimera made of a very bright diamond. "Isn't it cute?"

Sukotto gave a heavy groan, _Oh no, he has one now, too._ "Well, Bobi-kun, you'd better come with us, then." Bobi stared puzzlingly as Sukotto pulled him over to the area where the statues had pointed.

"Hey, Nii-san, all your friends have one just like mine! Isn't tha…" he stopped as he noticed Sukotto's gargoyle. "Yours scares me."

"Hey!" Sukotto held his statue protectively. He had grown attached to the little figurine, even if it WAS a little spooky.

"Sukotto-kun! Come on! Meari-chan found something!" Jeshika said, turning around to wave at him. "Oh, HI BOBI-BOZU!"

The brothers ran ahead. While Bobi jumped onto Jeshika, Sukotto continued on to where the rest of his friends had been waiting. They were seated in a circle around…something, and as he drew closer, it turned out to be a book.

It was REALLY old. The cover was threadbare and the once soft leather bindings were now filthy and almost broken. The empty pages inside were yellow-stained and crisp as the group flipped them over, trying to find some kind of writing. The only part of the book that had lasted the ravages of time was the gold leaf on the cover. The shiny material revealed the words "Your Story" on the cover, written in beautifully flowing letters. Though the book was very tattered, Sukotto couldn't help but feel a strange sense of awe as he sat down beside his friends.

"Well, there's nothing written in it…" Samasa said, picking up the book for a closer examination.

"Give it here!" Meari said, fingers outstretched.

"Is this what the statues were pointing us too?" Saimon asked, staring at the book with a puzzled expression.

"Well, even if it isn't, it's cool!" Rekku smiled, "I say, finders keepers!"

"Hey, wow a cool book!" Bobi-kun approved, having just come over with Jeshi.

"Does it have anything written in it?" Jeshi asked. The group shook their heads.

"Well, that's dumb. Books that look like this DESERVE to have good stories in them." Bobi-kun huffed, crossing his arms.

"I agree!" Jeshi sat down and looked at the book from different angles (Meari had refused to let it go).

Ding

Sukotto's head darted up as he was suddenly filled with inspiration. He glanced up at Meari. She had an expression on her face that he knew all too well. "The old, tattered cover… the empty pages… the ten friends that found it… Sukotto…?"

Sukotto agreed, a grin forming on his face, "I agree. It's too perfect…"

The two stood up and raised their fists in the air.

Meari+ Kotto: LET'S WRITE A FAN FIC!

Everyone: Oo (silence)

Roren: (claps hands together) HEEHEE! I love it!

Sam: A fan fic? You wanna write a story in the book?

Sukotto: Yeah! And if Samasa doesn't give me candy at lunch break, I'll kill her off!

Reichu: Oh, Sukotto-kun, you can't kill off Samasa-chan! She's not popular enough!

Everyone: OO…

Emi: Although I do like that idea Sukotto… (dreams of junk food and candy)

Remi: (back to subject) Well, it's a cool idea, but… the book kinda creeps me out… I mean, this has to be more than just a regular book if the statues pointed at it…

Saimon: I think it'd be cool to write in a haunted book… maybe it's like Death Note!

Emi: You mean the manga about the kid who can kill people by writing their names in a shinigami's book?

Sai: Yeah! Wouldn't that be creepy if this turned out to be something like that!

Jes + Bobi: I'm scared!

Roren: Stop it, idiot (hits him).

Rekku: Don't worry guys. Saimon-kun was being stupid.

Sai: Hey… (Tears)

Meari: HEY! Saimon-kun gave me an idea!

Sai: AH! DON'T WRITE MY NAME IN IT! WAH! I WANNA LIVE! LIVE!

Meari: No, no… why don't we use a whole bunch of different manga and anime to base our story?

Sukotto: Instead of just one? That'd be cool!

Reichu: (Now really into it) Well, which ones?

Emi: Inu Yasha! (Meari starts taking notes)

Rekku: Cardcaptor Sakura! (Roren groans)

Samasa: We _have_ to put in FMA

Reichu: And Bleach! Bleach, too!

Sukotto: Final Fantasy! (some stares) What? Why not? (Meari shrugs and writes it down)

Bobi: Fruits Basket! Fruits Basket! Ahhh, Shigure-sama (drools)

Saimon: Kingdom Hearts!

Jes: Case Closed!

Rekku: Ooh! If we're gonna do video games, let's put down Tales of Symphonia, too!

Roren: Let's do some Naruto, too (Orochimaru-fantasy mode) hee hee…

Reichu: OOOH Ouran! OURAN!

Jes: OOOH TSUBASA!

Meari: Ok, that's probably enough…

Jehsi: I can't wait! How are we going to write it?

Rekku: We could pass it around and each write a page or something.

Sukotto: I don't know… that could take a while (the three look at Roren)

Roren: You know, it's YOUR own fault it takes me so long (slow writer)… you keep messing up my characters, and then I have to deal with all that crap you give me.

Sukotto: Well, at any rate, your writing is always worth the wait.

Roren: (playful punch to Sukotto, who falls over and curls into ball) Hee hee…

Emi: Uh… so… who gets it first…?

Everyone: O­­o...

Meari: DIBS! NOSES! CALL IT! (Holding book lovingly)

Everyone but Meari: AWWWWWW…

Meari: Let's get an order going after me…

She turned to the next page and wrote her full name next to a one. "Who's next?" They rolled dice (which, for some weird reason, Roren always kept in her pocket) ("They remind me of Gambit-sama!") until they had ten names listed:

1.Bobaku Meari

2.Suchuwa Sukotto (Saimon: Jeez Sukotto-kun your writing is messy)

3.Guran Saimon (Sukotto: Look who's talking, at least I have capitals…)

4.Geiren Roren

5.Robato Jeshika

6. Suchuwa Bobi (The two boys were out-done by an eleven year old)

7. Nia Rekkushi

8. Rezuri Emiri

9. Batodoshi Samasa

10. Pama Reicheru (wah I'm last!)

"Ok, that's that! Meari announced, putting the cap on her pen back. "Is there anything else we want to do before we start?

"OOH I know!" Jeshika shouted, "Let's have Sukotto-kun write magic words."

"Uh… s'cuse?"

"You're really good at all that poetry stuff! Write some magic words so that it'll be the best story ever!" Jeshika-chan stared into the sky raising her fist, waves crashing behind her (sight gag). "I'm sorry, I'll sit down." (She did).

"Uh, OK that sounds neat. Give me the book, Meari-chan."

The book was reluctantly handed over and Sukotto took out a pen. He thought for a moment and began to write;

_The power of friendship…_

_The strength that one can endure when held strong by this strange power…_

_The miracles this magic can bring to life…_

_The unbreakable bond, the eternal promises,_

_The memories that last throughout time…_

_This is our tale, my friends' and mine._

_Don't ever forget…_

_Don't ever forget…_

Sukotto lied in bed, unable to sleep, the strange words he had written turning in his mind. They had just appeared in his mind as he had held the book, but had stopped when he had reached the last line. Telling them he would finish it tomorrow, he and Bobi left the group to head home. He had been trying to complete the poem, knowing he wouldn't sleep until it was perfect. He looked out of his small bedroom's window, trying to find inspiration. It was an abnormally dark day, so dark not even the streetlights seemed to work properly.

Lying back on his back and closing his eyes again, Sukotto repeated;

_Don't ever forget…_

The darkness seemed to be a blanket covering the neighbourhood, blocking out all sight… by looking at it, one almost seemed certain the sun would never rise again.

_Don't ever forget…_

_Though the darkness cannot be escaped…_

Sukotto closed his eyes:

_Don't be afraid…_

_You are strong when you are alone_

_You are invincible when you are united_

As this last line flitted through his mind, his breathing slowed, his head sunk into the pillows, the clock struck 12:00.

And, from somewhere far away, a voice sang the poem, carried by the suddenly dying wind…


	5. Taken to the World

CRASH!

"SUKOTTO-NIISAN, HELP! NII-SAN!"

The sound of breaking glass startled Sukotto from his sleep. A torrent of wind blew from the broken window as Sukotto grabbed his glasses and darted his eyes around the room. The bed next to him was empty and the room was in complete disarray. The boy's eyes finally turned to the night sky.

A monster was carrying Bobi away.

"NII-SAN!" Bobi screamed, on the back of a giant hound with crystal wings that was flying away from the house. The little boy was stuck between the two beating wings and was too high up to jump off.

"BOBI!" Sukotto hollered above the gale coming from the beast's wings, jumping out onto the roof outside his bedroom. He picked up a shard of broken glass and, out of pure rage, hurled it at the creature. It would've hit, if not for a giant arm that appeared from the side and wiped away the projectile.

His eyes opened wide as Sukotto saw a second monster, a giant gargoyle with piercing eyes. "GIVE ME BACK MY BROTHER!" Sukotto yelled, pouring all his rage into the demand. "GIVE HIM BACK! NOW!"

As if responding to Sukotto, the stone goliath picked him up with a swoop of his hand as took to the air, following the direction the hound had disappeared to. Sukotto should have been afraid, but he was too livid to care about the fact that he was 50-feet off the ground in the hands of a monster that was bound to eat him. _Well, I'll find Bobi first, and then worry about being eaten. _After five minutes of flying, Sukotto calmed down slightly and twitched when he looked at the ground.

Suddenly, the gargoyle fell into a swift dive. Sukotto's hair whipped past him as he tried not to black out from the velocity. Instead, he focused on the gargoyle's intended target; a house at the end of a block. Sukotto yelled at the gargoyle to stop, but the monster took no notice. They continued to approach the house and as they were a second away from the roof of the unsuspecting household, Sukotto braced himself for the impact.

But it never came. Instead, a bright light shot from the house, surrounding Sukotto in a vortex of light and colour. He felt the hand around him melt away, and he looked back to see the gargoyle disintegrating. It then became a bright ball of light, shooting down to catch up with the falling boy. As it neared him, Sukotto heard a booming voice echo in his head.

_Grab the key, young master… Grab the key!_

In response to these words, the bright light gave a blinding flash, generating a great wind and, in the centre, a small key bearing the symbols of the sun and moon. Sukotto gazed in awe for a quick moment, and then shot his hand out to grab it. He met some resistance and pushed his hand with a large cry. As his hands closed around the small object, the clothes he was wearing burst into multicoloured threads that formed into a large rainbow cloak.

_Good, _said the voice, growing faint, _hurry and find your friends… I can't go with you yet, but soon…_

_"Hey! Wait a minute! What's happening!" _Sukotto cried, his voice echoing strangely as the vortex began to shift.

_Don't forget… the strength of friendship…_

_"What's going o—"_

_Don't forget, young master…_

With a violent flash, the vortex crumbles away, revealing a vast landscape-

Which Sukotto was free falling towards.

He screamed, his new cloak billowing around him as the ground rushed to meet him. Before he could hit the bottom, however, he heard a voice call out with strange power;

"_FLOAT!_"

Sukotto felt his fall slow suddenly. He was gently dropped to the ground before his exhaustion caught up with him and he fell asleep.

_A year has passes since that day…_

_Sukotto was taken in by an old woman with strange powers…_

_She taught him to use magic and gave him 12 mystical cards_

"_Master them, travel the world and find the rest. Seek out your friends. These cards will help you…"_

_she had told him._

_He has yet to find those he left behind…_

_His magic powers grew stronger everyday._

_He thought he might never again see his friends…_

_Until one day…_

Sukotto walked along the forest path, admiring the forest scenery which surrounded him. He looked ahead, and spotted his destination atop a small mountain: The Xian Temple. Sukotto had heard of a wise sage that lived within that temple. He hoped this monk would have the answers Sukotto needed…

A rustle of leaves snapped Sukotto on his guard. He looked in the direction of the sound. He heard the faint breathing of… something, and the contents of his robe pocket grew warm, anticipating the danger he had sensed.

_Another one!_ Sukotto thought, searching the trees and grabbing his key off his neck. _How on earth can there be so many in one place!_

Realising the prey had been alerted to its presence, an ugly, large troll bearing a relatively small club leaped down from the trees in front of the boy. But Sukotto was ready. He held his key in front of him and quickly chanted:

_Key that seals the powers of Sol and Luna_

_Show thy true form before me…_

_I, Sukotto, command you under our contract,_

_RELEASE!_

A spell circle appeared under Sukotto as the key before him transformed into a large staff, the sun and moon ornaments decorating the head. The troll, realising the boy was using magic, charged quickly at Sukotto. Sukotto threw a blue card to his feet and stabbed it with his staff, crying out "_LEAP!"_

Wings appeared on Sukotto's shoes. He jumped, using the power of the card to land on the troll's head. Stomping on it profusely, Sukotto provoked the fiend into swinging at him. He then jumped down to the orge's feet, redirecting its hit to its own grotesque head. As it reared in pain, Sukotto released another card, "_SHINE!"_

Small lights appeared around the troll, slowly rotating. Sukotto swung his staff, sending his will to each small star, making them burst in flashes of bright light in front of the troll's eyes. The beast swayed on the spot for a moment, then fell to the ground, knocked unconscious.

_They're getting harder to beat_, Sukotto wearily returned his staff to its key. _I'd better hurry to the temple…_ With that, he picked up his pace. He had almost reached the base of the temple before…

RRRRRRAAAAAGGGGHHHH!

Another troll had appeared. This one was at least twice the size of the last one, brandishing a club as thick as a tree trunk. It's blood-red eyes stared down at Sukotto, it's mouth slightly open, revealing rows on rows of sharp teeth. _And, it knows I'm getting tired…_

Sukotto drew out his staff again and prepared himself to slay the beast. _I need to make this short and sweet, otherwise…_he gulped, _Well, just make it short and sweet. I'd rather not think about the other possibility…_

Sukotto began to think of a plan, but his time was cut short as the troll launched itself into a full-out charge. Sukotto decided he'd have to improvise and called out "_MOON!"_ The entire area was surrounded in darkness, hindering the troll's sight while leaving Sukotto's clear. Silently, he added the _Quiet, _making him almost undetectable.

But the troll was not fooled for long. He began to sniff around, then, ran blindly into the darkness, barley missing Sukotto. _Damn it! It's a TROLL, Sukotto, it can smell!_ A light went off in Sukotto's head. _This makes for a good opportunity…_

Drawing out a pink card from his pocket, Sukotto ran off the road and hid behind a tree. He hoped the scent of the forest would give him enough time. Luckily, the troll was thrown off and wandered aimlessly around in the dark. _Good, _Sukotto turned his attention to the task at hand.

He held the pink card in front of him and made it float. The head on his staff began to spin as he raised the staff to the card level. He then closed his eyes, began to chant and poured his energy into the card.

_Card mastered by Sakura,_

_I ask thee to discard thy former self_

_And reincarnate_

_Under the name…_

Sukotto swung the staff again, this time piercing the card, which began to shine with a blue light.

_OF YOUR NEW MASTER SUKOTTO!_

Sukotto spun the card around to face the enemy and cried out;

_Under our new contract,_

_I grant you the name;_

_BLOOM!_

Wind poured out of the card in a giant storm of sakura leaves. The troll caught off guard was hit full-force. The sakura's sweet scent brought a sting to the troll's nose, which preferred more pungent smells. His eyes began to water and he covered his nose to stop the flow of flowers to his face. He gagged and sputtered, falling to his knees.

But Sukotto wasn't fairing much better. Transforming the card into a Sukotto card had taken more of his mana then he had thought, and it was all he could do to keep the stream of flowers flowing. The darkness began to fade and sound returned as Sukotto's mana began to empty until, exhausted from too many fights, Sukotto dropped to the ground, breathing heavily.

The troll, now enraged beyond words, ran at Sukotto and jumped to swing his club. _I can't even move…_ Sukotto desperately tried to roll out of the way, but to no avail… _it can't end like this…not today!_

CHING CHING

Two swords fell from the sky, landing in front of Sukotto in an X pattern. A voice called out from above, "Sun! I reject!"

The smaller, red sword grew into a giant shield. The troll brought its club down on the barrier, which gave no reaction at all. The troll grunted, confused, as Sukotto stared blankly at the two swords which had saved his life. _I know those from somewhere…_

A warrior came down, dressed in a red hoodie and ripped jeans. A chain dangled from his neck, while a blue headband kept his red bangs away from his fiery eyes. Without turning around, the boy said, "Don't worry, sir! I'll have this beastie cut down to size in no time!"

With that, he grabbed his two swords (the red one having restored itself) and jumped at the troll. With surprising speed, he whipped the blue claymore down onto the troll, causing an ugly gash on the troll's already ugly head. The troll staggered, giving the swordsman his opportunity.

"Sun! Moon! Spin and Quicken!" The boy spun his swords in a giant tornado until he was nothing but a blur. He then lifted off the ground and spun towards the enemy. The blur began to give off a blue-red light, until the swordsman had been replaced by a ball of purple mana. Sukotto then heard, "Fire! Water! Attack and Destroy!" The ball smashed into the enemy, sending purple light darting through the troll. The beast fell to the ground and disintegrated.

"Hah! Not a problem!" The swordsman cried triumphantly, resting his swords on the ground. He turned towards Sukotto and smiled, "You heading towards the temple, traveller?"

But Sukotto didn't answer. He instead stared at the face of the warrior, almost at the point of crying.

"Hmm? What? Are you hurt?"

Sukotto slowly raised his head and brushed his bangs away from his eyes, now filled with tears. "Saimon… Saimon-kun…"

The boy froze. His eyes met Sukotto's, unable to speak from the shock. "No… it can't be…" Sukotto smiled, then collapsed to the ground. "Whoa! Hey! Wake up, man!"


	6. A Talk With the Wise One

"It happened a year ago." Saimon said, sitting across the room. Sukotto sat on the edge of the bed where he had awoken. The smell of incense gave the room a calm feeling, and Sukotto couldn't have been happier. _I've found them! My friends ARE here with me!_

"Remember? The day we found that book?"

"How could I forget it?"

"Yeah, well I woke up at midnight and found a dragon in my room!" Saimon laughed. "I was too scared to move! It grabbed me, chucked me onto its back and carried me right out my window! You can imagine my surprise!

"Anyway, the dragon carried me for a while, then I was…" he paused, trying to find the right word. "I was shot with a beam of light, I guess. Then I stated falling. The dragon then turned into a bright ball of red light and went inside my pocket! When I reached inside, I found this." Saimon reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded paper, handing it to Sukotto.

"Your masterpiece…" Sukotto said, recognising the swords from earlier.

"Yup. When I unfolded it, the swords jumped right off the page. I grabbed them, and my clothes changed into… this." Saimon held up his arms to reveal his attire. _Oh sure, _Sukotto thought, _here I am with a dumb old robe and Saimon-kun gets a hoodie and jeans…_

"Then, I had a long fall into this temple. This exact room, actually!" Saimon pointed to the roof, made of very sturdy wood. _I guess I got it lucky…_

"When I woke up a week later, I was brought to the wise one. He told me all about this world. When I asked about my friends, he told me that they were both far away and very near. I didn't really get it, but he told me I would soon enough. I stayed here, was taught how to fight and then… found you!" Saimon smiled. "So, what's your story?"

"My story…" Sukotto echoed, then was given a sudden realisation. "I've been such an idiot! THE BOOK! That book we found! We created this… er… We dropped ino when we wrote down all those mangas in the book!"

"You think the book did this?" Saimon asked confused.

"LOOK!" Sukotto showed him the Sukotto cards. Saimon's eyes opened wide.

"Th-The Clow Cards!"

"An old woman gave them to me. She said she lost the most of them and she wants me to find them! Just like-"

"-in Cardcaptor Sakura!"

"EXACTLY! That chain on your neck! That's Cloud's!"

"Final Fantasy…" Saimon gasped, grasping the necklace.

"At midnight, I finished those magic words! That's when we got put in here! Our friends are somewhere in this world!"

"Maybe not this one, exactly…"

"Beg your pardon?"

"Come with me. Let's go talk to the wise one."

Sukotto entered through the polished oak doors into a small room filled with small candles, providing the only light in the other wise dark room. On an elevated platform sat an old bald man, an orange robe draped around him. He was meditating, his breath undetectable behind his blank face. The incense in the room projected a sense of peace.

Saimon nodded to a pair of cushions that lay on the floor below the monk. The boys sat down and folded their legs into a comfortable position. Sukotto waited a full minute for someone to say something, and then nudged Saimon. "Why aren't we talking?"

"Oh, I guess you wouldn't know." Saimon said. "The Wise One became wise by going into a permanent state of meditation. He can't wake up."

"Then how do we talk to him!"

The other smiled, then began to breathe deeply. "We join him." Saimon relaxed himself, and as his eyes closed, he entered the same comatose state as the Wise One. Sukotto waved his hand in front of his friend's face, but the boy took no notice.

"Saimon-kun!" Sukotto whispered harshly, "I don't know how to meditate!"

Groaning, Sukotto decided he'd try anyway. He examined the position and duplicated it. He began to breathe the way Saimon had, and tried to relax his mind. But he couldn't seem to get it working. He tried again, this time feeling… something. But before he could grasp the something, it flitted away.

"Ok, third time's a charm," Sukotto said, and closed his eyes again. He slowly relaxed each individual muscle, and began to breathe through his nose. The burning incense brought the smells of cinnamon and other spices to his nose, and Sukotto's ears began to pick up the smallest sounds. The creak of the floorboards, the flame burning through a candle's wick, a mouse running underneath his feet all sounded enormous.

Then, Sukotto's mind slipped to somewhere behind his brain. He felt each one of his senses close off to the world, one at a time until he was alone inside an unresponsive body. He then had a rising sensation, and looked down with a shock to see his body, sitting deathly-still. He turned his head towards the roof and saw two other floating figures, both smiling.

"Whoa! Good job, Sukotto! It took me an hour to figure out how to do that!"

"Well, you showed me how to do it."

"I guess I did" He laughed. "Oh, this is the Wise One."

Sukotto turned his attention to the spirit of the old man. He seemed much more powerful now that he was awake. He radiated at the same time extreme power and total peace. The monk made a small bow to the boys, which they returned.

"You have come to ask me about the worlds?"

"Worlds? As in plural?"

"Yes. You may have noticed when you entered this forest that the air seemed to… shimmer?"

Sukotto recalled back to a month before. After he had left the old woman's cottage, he had travelled for a while when he had come upon a… portal of some sorts. It was like a giant line had been cut in the ground, from which grew a giant panel of thin glass that rippled from his touch. When Sukotto had dared walk through it, he had felt as though his single step had carried him for a mile. He nodded to the Wise One.

"What you crossed was called an Inter-Dimensional Tear. They are what go in between the dimensions. The seemingly paper thin barrier was actually millions of miles wide."

"You mean I travelled through dimensions!" Sukotto gaped. "Wouldn't it be a little more difficult to do that!"

"Both you and Saimon seem special. The two of you are the only physical beings I know that can cross through those. Many monks have tried, only to be rejected. Until I met the two of you, I was afraid that no one would ever again travel across the split world..."

"The world… was split?"

"Have you not heard the story?"

"'Fraid not."

"OOH! I know this one! Can I tell it!" Saimon jumped up and down with his hand up until the Wise One nodded his head. Saimon turned to Sukotto and began his story.

"Anyway, the world used to be one big entity. Everyone was happy and the world was prosperous. But then the evil lord Ryo appeared. He wanted the destruction of the world. He used his magic to split the word into pieces, which began to float away from each other. If they flew far enough away, their mana would eventually be exhausted and the worlds would each die. Ryo decreed that he would destroy any world that did not serve him.

"Everything looked really bad until 10 warriors appeared. Each of them came from different parts of the world, and they barley knew each other. Yet it is said their teamwork and battling skills were amazing. Each wielded their own weapons flawlessly, and together they defeated Ryo!

"But they found that the worlds hadn't stopped flying away. Try as they might, the heroes were too exhausted from the battle to negate the spell. So, instead, they sealed the soul of the evil lord within his own sword, Ending, and placed it in the centre of the floating worlds. The sword drew scattered earth from space into itself, to form a new world. This planet was said to be a source of undying mana, which the planets (now suffering from mana shortage) began to draw upon. These mana bridges stopped the worlds from drifting into chaos. These numerous worlds now hang in a delicate orbit around Chaos, as the centre planet is often referred to by.

"So, the worlds are now separated by the Tears and draw upon Chaos's infinite mana in order to sustain themselves. There hasn't been a whole lot of communication between them, because it's so difficult. It's possible that some of the worlds have completely forgotten about the others…"

"What about Ending? Isn't it a little dangerous to leave such a powerful weapon lying on a planet somewhere?"

"No one has heard about it or seen it since the Age of the Heroes. At least, not from our world anyway. And besides," Saimon pointed out, "I don't even think it's possible to get to Chaos, let alone find Ending."

Sukotto took a moment to let this all sink in, then remembered why he had come to Xian in the first place. "Sir, do you think my friends could be in the other worlds?"

The Wise One smiled, "That is a very likely possibility. I have considered it, and the fact that we have yet to hear from anyone but you makes it almost certainty."

Sukotto nodded, and then looked at Saimon. "I have to find them."

Saimon smiled, "I've already packed my things." Sukotto gave him a surprised expression. "What? You didn't think I'd let you go by yourself now that we've found each other, did you?"

"Then we'll prepare food for your journey." The Wise One indicated the monk standing by the door. "As Ginta for whatever you need."

Saimon and Sukotto bowed. "We're most grateful." The two then began to sink back down to the floor leaving the Wise One, but before re-entering his body, the Wise One stopped him.

"Sukotto-kun, you are collecting the Sakura cards, yes?"

Sukotto nodded, and the old man smiled. A small sphere of light flew from the old man to Sukotto, taking the form of a pink card. "Before I became Wise, I found this card lying outside the temple. I discovered that by holding it in meditation, I gained amazing spiritual power. I can no longer use it, so I hope you find good use of it."

Sukotto glanced at the new card. It was named the _Dream._ Sukotto placed it in his pocket along with the others and turned his head back to the old man, as another light flew to his hands, revealing another pink card. "This one, I was never able to use for some reason. Nonetheless, I kept it should its power one day decide to reveal itself. It hasn't done so for me, but perhaps it will deem you worthy of its power."

Sukotto stared at his new card, the _Libra_, the picture revealing a small scale. The Sun and Moon were depicted in it, both hanging in perfect balance. _I wonder what this one can do…_

He was going to thank the Wise One again, but instead found himself back in his body. He reached inside his pocket and, sure enough, the two pink cards remained, mixed in with Sukotto's mastered blue ones. The _Libra_ didn't feel like the other cards; it seemed as though a hidden strength was leaking out from the card, giving Sukotto's mind a disturbing overwhelming feeling. He hastily put the cards back in his pocket and hurried out the door, where Saimon had been waiting.


	7. Journey START

They had just left the gates when Saimon turned around and looked back. "You gonna be OK?" Sukotto asked anxiously, having stopped to wait.

"It's just hard leaving like this…" Saimon took a deep breath and turned around to catch up with Sukotto. "It's been my home away from home for a year. I've gotten to know them all, learned so much from them…" Saimon said, hanging his head. "It's almost like leaving my parents behind again."

"Well, who's to say you won't be back sometime?" Sukotto said, "and I'm sure we'll be able to go home again…" Sukotto suddenly thought of an idea. "Wait! Let me do one thing!"

Setting down his bag, Sukotto drew out his staff and held out the _Dream._ "If this works properly, I can probably Imprint the Wise One's room so we can visit anytime!"

"Really? You can do that?"

"Sure! Mastering the cards just requires a little imagination and the right name. If I name the card right, its powers can increase. For example," Sukotto drew out another card, "I transformed the _Sweet_ into the _Cook_, so that we can make meals and not just candy!"

"You just give it any old name?"

"Well, some cards are pickier than others. It took me forever to figure out a good name for the _Seal_ (formerly the _Lock_)."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Yeah. The mana level's different here than back at my… the other world (he was trying not to say Home). It's harder to transform them here. Be prepared to catch me."

"Sorry?"

"Ah, you'll see."

_Card mastered by Sakura,_

_I ask thee to discard thy former self_

_And reincarnate_

_Under the name…_

Saimon watched mystified as Sukotto brought the staff down in front of the card, giving off a blue light.

_OF YOUR NEW MASTER SUKOTTO!_

Sukotto stabbed his staff into the card, which provoked a jump from Saimon

_Under our new contract,_

_I grant you the name;_

_MIND!_

The spirit appeared, resembling a purely white bishop with flowing hair, her hands cupped in front of her chest. Sukotto commanded her, "Use Saimon's mind to Imprint the room of the Wise One with our presence!"

"Use my… Wait, Suk-!" Saimon began, but was interrupted when the _Mind_ came over and touched the sides of his head with her white hands. Memories of talking with the Wise One, meditating next to his body and of his recent talk flitted through his mind, as he stood unable to move, the frail hands of the card passing through his skull straight into his mind.

After the mental attack, the _Mind_ pulled from his head a small ball of energy, which she fired at the temple. On contact, Sukotto's spell circle flashed and the card, satisfied with her work, returned to her master's hand.

"Maybe you could ask first before you do that!" Saimon asked, but then he noticed the weary expression in his friend's eyes and, remembering what Sukotto had said, ran over to catch him as he fell to the ground.

"Wow, did you bulk up since we last saw each other…?" Sukotto remarked, being slowly laid to the ground by Saimon.

"Ahh... Well it takes some stamina to lug these things around," Saimon shrugged, blushing ever-so slightly, his hand resting on the hilt of his swords, "but it does have its advantages."

"Like what?"

Saimon ripped open his hoodie; "One HUGE SIX-PACK!"

"AAH! PUT IT BACK DOWN! PLEASE! BACK DOWN!" Sukotto said, covering his eyes from the visual assault.

"Haha! Jealous?" Saimon laughed, zipping his hoodie back up. "Maybe now you'll think twice about attacking my mind the same way I attacked your eyes!"

"Point taken." Sukotto slowly got back to his feet.

"You OK to walk?"

"Don't worry," Sukotto picked up his sack and began to walk, "it takes at least two cards to get me that tired."

As picked up his sack and stared at his friend with a weary expression, Saimon regarded the journey's start as a very bad omen. _I can already tell he's going to get me into serious trouble… _

Sukotto turned to tell Saimon to hurry up, but instead tripped on a rock, fell to the ground and began to roll down the hill's path.

Saimon sighed and began his pursuit after the tumbling 16-year-old. _Yup, this is going to be an interesting week._

"Okay, Sukotto-kun," Saimon sat down and crossed his legs. The campfire his friend had been building suddenly burst to life, giving the night a bright orange glow. Sukotto set the _Cook_ to work, and then relaxed, warming his tired feet after a full day's travel. "I've decided to train you."

"OK, s—Come again?"

"While you are pretty strong with your cards, your mana level is abnormally low for a magician such as yourself."

"Well, I've been getting stronger by using the cards! Each one I transform makes me a lot stronger! I transformed two cards today and I feel really strong!"

"Yeah, but after each one, you collapsed. What if I hadn't been there to watch your back?"

"Uh… well…"

"Therefore," Saimon announced, standing up and thrusting his hand in the air, "from now on, I'm going to train you!"

"Train me? Saimon-kun, you can barley train RPG characters, yet alone me…"

"I'm not like that any more! All the training I did at the temple saved my sorry butt a couple of times! It's important to me now! I do it every night, and I don't intend to stop!"

"Every night! What kind of training do you want to do?" Sukotto asked, a little reluctant to hear the answer.

Saimon smiled, picking up his swords and walking over to a small clearing in the forest. "What else?" he said, twirling his swords into their ready position. "Sparring!"

"SPARRING! ARE YOU JOKING! WE'LL KILL EACH OTHER!"

Saimon held his swords into the air and cried "Sun! Moon! Friendly fire!" The swords glowed with a weak light, putting a small barrier around the sharp edges, dulling the swords' deadly cut. "Well, it's for my benefit, too. I haven't had a lot of experience in fighting magic, and I figure it'll come in handy."

"Well, what about me? My cards could really hurt you!"

"Just make sure you don't hit the vitals!" Saimon said, jumping from side to side, excitement clearly dancing in his eyes. "Don't worry! It won't be a simple task to hit me… Unless you want to prove it otherwise?"

A malicious smile spread across Sukotto's face as he released his staff. "Promise me you won't cry."

Saimon sighed, _He hasn't changed a bit. All he needs is a little competition, and he goes completely-_

"_MOON!_" The entire area was covered in more darkness, the fire's light slowly ebbing away until all was too dark to see. Sukotto snuck behind Saimon, the latter giving no sign of having noticed. Sukotto swung his staff and hit- empty space.

"Where'd he…?"

"Right here!" Sukotto turned just in time to see a red edge swing at him.

BANG!

Sukotto rolled on the ground, the force of the blow having made him very dizzy. Shaking his head clear, he saw Saimon already up in the air, about to bring the heavy blue sword down onto his back. "_LEAP!" _Sukotto thrust himself from the ground just as the stone cleaver smacked the ground. He landed in a tree, daring Saimon to try and follow him.

Which he did. Saimon jumped with super-human strength and hopped from tree trunk to tree trunk, finally making it to the branch where Sukotto stood. The magician was too slow to dodge as the rapier was once again swung at his face. It knocked him out of the tree and he landed painfully on the ground. Saimon prepared to jump down again, but Sukotto had another idea.

Still slightly disoriented, Sukotto threw a card into the air and cried out, "_AIR!"._ The forest seemed to shake as the wind grew into a giant gale. The trees bent as though by some giant's hand. Of course, Saimon's tree was no exception, and he was sent tumbling to the ground. An extra vigorous gust caught him in mid fall, flinging him towards a large thicket. He would've made contact too, if he hadn't changed his sword into a giant shield which took the blow in his place.

"That was a good one!" Saimon yelled over the gale, returning his swords. "Let's try a different approach." He swung the blue sword, crying "Moon! Swing and Slice!" The heavy claymore had now become an even heavier axe, planting Saimon to the ground against the wind. He ran at Sukotto and swung at him, forcing him to break the spell as he dodged. The wind died, and Saimon changed his axe back with a quick twirl.

Sukotto got ready to use another card, but his mana usage had started to catch up with him and he began to slow down. Before he could even call out the name, the heavy blue sword was brought down on his head.


	8. Double Trouble

"Okay, so maybe I over did it a little…"

"A LITTLE?! YOU COULD HAVE GIVEN ME A CONCUSSION!"

"Okay, okay, I over did it A LOT and I'm sorry, but you were just proving my point! If you hadn't been so exhausted, you could've dodged that easily!"

"That doesn't mean you have to go and beat me with that beast of a sword!"

The two stood by the fire, eating their stew (one with a little difficulty because he had an icepack in the other hand). The two had decided to stop sparring and would instead just practice on dummies until Sukotto's magic improved a little.

"But I had to! You think an enemy would've gone easy on you?!"

"WELL I—did you hear that?"

"Don't change the subject just because you-!"

"SHH! Listen!"

Saimon stopped for a second, fuming, but then he heard it; a high pitched voice coming from far off. The two boys turned to the direction of the voices. At a quick glance to each other they grabbed their weapons and ran into the forest. They travelled far into the dense woods before reaching the base of a cliff. A large boulder stood between them and the rocky wall, and from behind it, a small light cast dancing shadows on the cliff. The boys could see that two objects were by the fire, not moving an inch, until…

"RRRRAAAARRRRGGHHHH!" A shadow reared from behind the boulder, taking the form of a long-necked beast with razor sharp jaws. It was moaning horribly, a high pitched growl reaching the boys' ears. But before the boys could decide whether or not to advance, a second voice, this time very squeaky, called out.

"BLUE! You're doing it wrong! Your voice isn't low enough!"

"Well, YOU'RE not doing anything to help! Can't you shoot a little flame or something?!" an equally squeaky voice retorted as the beasts shadow disappeared from view.

"What good would that do?! Your monster looks like a dying snake!"

"Well, why don't YOU do a better one, Red?"

"Fine!" Another beast appeared, but this shadow wasn't disembodied like the first; a small, red clawed hand was the source, its scales shining in the light of what seemed to be a small fire. Sukotto and Saimon looked at each other and drew their weapons into ready position, the latter then slicing the boulder in half, revealing two figures hiding behind it.

The two voiced belonged to very small dragons, both standing on two feet with stubby legs. Their large bellies were patterned with soft skin, while their backs boasted small spikes from the backs of their non-existent necks down to their short tails. They would have been identical if not for two things; one was ruby red and the other sapphire blue, the first having three stubby horns on its head, the other having one slightly longer one. They ultimately gave the impression of cuddly stuffed animals rather than ferocious dragons- which the red one had still not stopped impersonating…

"Uh… Red…"

"Blue, shut up! They'll hear you!"

"No… Red! Look!"

"Stop yelling! They'll…" Red stopped, slowly bringing his eyes up to meet the quizzical stares of the two boys. "Oh…"

"AAAAHHH!" The two dragons jumped and held each other, while Sukotto and Saimon did the same. "Who are you?!" They all said, pointing at the other pair.

"

Red: Yeah! Who are you and what do you want?!

Blue: Oh, I'm Blue, and I kinda want something to eat…

Red: Not YOU, Blue, who are they?!

Blue: How should I know?

Red: I'm not asking you!

Blue: You don't have to yell at me…

Red: Never mind, who are you?!

Sukotto: They're… talking lizards…

Saimon: _Stupid_ talking lizards…

Blue: HEY! Don't call him a stupid talking lizard!

Red: Yeah, don't- wait, Blue!

Sukotto: So, your names are Red and Blue.

Blue: How did you know that?! (Terrified look)

Saimon: We heard you talking, idiot.

Blue: …oh… Do you have food?

Sai + Kotto: WHAT?!

Kotto: You want food?!

Blue: Yeah! We haven't eaten in a while, and we're lost in the forest, and we saw your fire, so we thought if we could lure you here, catch you by surprise and knock you out we could take your food and maybe take your map too so we could get-

Red: (slaps hand over Blue's mouth) Ok ok ok, that's enough Blue! (Nervous laugh). Would you be willing to share some food with us?

Sai: Forget it.

Blue: …But I'm hungry… so hungry… please?

Sukotto: Definitely not.

Blue+ Red: (pause). Alright then! We'll resort to Plan C!

With that, the two dragons began to build up energy. For such little creatures, their mana levels were growing way out of proportion. Wind whipped around them and they began to glow, until they jumped into what resembled a battle position. Their scales shimmered and the air around them was filled with their flowing auras.

"They want to fight?" Sukotto said, looking to Saimon, who was already primed for battle.

"Well, then I say we give them one!" Saimon winked at Sukotto, who reluctantly drew out his staff and readied a card.

"Hey! Buddy with the staff!" Red called, waving at Sukotto. "Your card thingy! What IS that?"

"This? It's a Sukotto Card."

"Hmm…" Red thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, let's make a wager on this fight!"

"You want to bet?" Saimon smiled. "Okay, what do suggest?"

"If we win, you have to feed us 'til we're stuffed!"

"Yeah, and if we lose, you guys can have this!" Blue reached behind his back and pulled out a large card.

"A Card?!"

"Yeah, it's a Magic Card! I don't really know what it does, but you can have it if you win!" Blue tucked the card safely away, and resumed his battle stance.

"Sounds good to me!" Sukotto said, his spell circle appearing beneath him. "Let's get 'em, Saimon-kun!"

_Mission Time! #1: Starry Nights and Dragon Fights!_

The Dragons want to fight! The bet is a hearty meal vs. a Clow Card! Knock these guys silly to grab the goods and send 'em packing! But be careful- these guys have a lot of mana, and who knows what they can do?

Rewards: Unknown Clow Card.

…_BEGIN!_

"GGGGAAAAAHHHHHH!" Blue wasted no time in charging at the two boys. His aura collected in his hand, forming a small ice crystal over his claws. He leaped at the boys and screamed, "Ice Claw!"

Saimon intercepted the attack and sent Blue flying above his head with his sword. "Hah, that was too-"

"Fiery Fist!" Red had been running directly behind Blue, having avoided detection until Saimon had deflected the first attack. This second one connected, sending Saimon crashing into a tree. Red smiled. "You shouldn't speak so soon, you big-OUCH!"

Sukotto had taken the opportunity to send the Bloom card at Red, the sharp rose thorns cutting his soft underbelly. Red fell down, but Sukotto didn't even have time to say anything, because Blue had chosen that moment to come back down after being sent airborne. He curled into a ball and his aura transformed into ice, turning Blue into a large chunk of ice. Said chunk hit Sukotto square in the head, and the boy fell down, slightly dizzy from having gotten nailed twice that night.

"They're good!" Saimon said, slowly getting up. "They're working together, and we're still acting like two separate fighters."

"Then we use teamwork! Run at me!"

Without asking questions, Saimon ran full tilt at Sukotto, who linked his hands together to form a platform. Saimon laughed, then hopped onto his friends hands. "_LEAP!"_ Saimon shot into the air, whipping out his swords. He spun in the air, crying out "Sun! Moon! I reject!" The two swords changed to two large shields, and by placing them in front of himself, Saimon fell towards the enemy, crying out "Team Attack A: Meteor Dive!" He then struck the ground, causing Blue and Red to be knocked back into the cliff wall.

"You NAMED it?"

"What? They named THEIR attacks! It looked fun!"

"Whatever. It was pretty good."

"Yeah, that was." Blue and Red peeled themselves from the wall, rubbing stiff limbs. "But it'll take more than that to take care of us!"

"We'll be happy to show you REAL team attacks, right Blue?"

"Yeah! Let's!"

The two did a high-five, causing their auras to meet and intertwine. Red curled himself into a ball, while Blue walked back. He then cried out "Bend it Like Blue!" and ran to kick the ball towards the boys. At the moment of contact, Red ignited himself, causing an explosion that threw the boys off their feet and into the bush. The two lay there, unmoving.

"Did… we just lose?"

"I think so…"

"We tried to tell you!" The two dragons jumped and cheered, then fell into the dirt, where they began to sleep.

_VICTORY: Blue and Red!_

_Mission Failed_


	9. The Most Important Thing

"Mish ish good shtuf!" Blue said, his mouth full of hot stew. He swallowed the whole bowl's worth, and then gave it to Saimon for his fifth refill.

"Just how much do you two eat?" Saimon asked, handing the full bowl back to Blue, then sitting back down to his tackle his own.

"Depends on a lot of things." Red said, drinking the last of his broth, and filling up his sixth bowl. "How hard we've fought, how long we've gone without food, the amount of mana we used… We once went a week without eating and almost finished off enough to feed a whole town!"

"But we haven't EVER eaten anything like THAT!" Blue said, smacking his lips and helping himself to some bread. "Those Cards of yours are cool! Pass the butter."

"By the way… the Card you guys have… Can I see it?"

Blue eyed him suspiciously, and then shrugged. "Well, I don't think you guys would try anything funny… OK!" Blue reached behind his back and pulled out the card again, which he handed to Sukotto. The Card turned out to be the _Twin._

"Tell me," Sukotto said, handing the Card back to Blue, "How did you guys find that Card?"

"We've had it as long as I can remember," Red said, leaning onto his back and sighing heartily, "Yup. Ever since we were born, I can remember having that Card. I think it was our parents who gave it to us…"

"Your parents? Are you guys brothers?" Saimon glanced up from his stew.

"Twins!" Red puffed out his chest proudly, "But I'm older!"

"But Red, we're twins! You aren't any older than I am…"

"But I was born first!"

"By five minutes!"

"You had bad luck, you must be jealous!"

"Jealous? Who'd be jealous of you? You're a lazy, dumb, fat ol' lizard!"

"Blue, we're identical twins, you know…"

"Yeah, but I'm prettier!"

_These guys fight over the stupidest things…_ Sukotto glanced over at Saimon, who was watching the heated argument with a puzzled expression. _Still, the _Twin_… That can't be a coincidence… The two parts are coloured red and blue and are identical…They must be connected to the card somehow…_

"Uh, excuse me, guys…" Sukotto pulled the two away from each other (they had gotten physical). "You're welcome to say no, but I have an idea…" The two dragons stopped clawing at each other and looked up. "What do you say we ally?"

"You mean you wanna be our friend?"

"Yeah, something like that. I can put some of my magic into the _Twin_ so that we can communicate even while we're travelling. That way, we can stay in touch."

"Oh, so you wanna join our team?" Red grabbed Blue. "Excuse us for a moment." The two dragons huddled up and began to talk. Sukotto saw Saimon give him a what-the-hell-are-you-thinking look. He returned with a just-wait-and-see stare, to which Saimon rolled his eyes.

"We've decided!" Blue and Red turned to face the boys, then smiled. "We'll let you join!"

"Thanks…" Saimon wasn't too excited.

Sukotto held his hand out, into which the Dragons placed the _Twin._ When the Dragons let go of the Card, Sukotto felt the Card lose its feeling of power, like a fire within the Card had suddenly died. _That's strange…_ Sukotto looked at the Dragons. "I need you two to hold it. This must be a Special card."

"Special?" The Dragons and Saimon both cocked their heads to the side.

"I think this Card has connected itself to you two. I don't think it will work properly if it's separated from you."

"Oh, wow! We have a new friend!" Blue hopped over to the Card and placed a clawed hand onto it. "Nice to meet you!" Red copied the motion, and Sukotto felt the warmth return.

"Okay, you guys. I need you to think of a name."

"What kind of name?"

"This Card means something special to you, right? Something important?"

"Yup! The most important thing we have!" The twins nodded.

"Then remember that special thing, and focus on nothing but that. That will change the Card's name. When I tell you, call it out and pour your strength into the card."

"Okay!" The two Dragons furrowed their brows in deep concentration, and when Saimon came over to touch the Card as well, Sukotto began;

_Card held by the Dragons…_

_I ask you to show proof of this alliance between two sides._

_Grant us the power of teamwork to render us successful in our quest…_

_I ask this of you in the names of:_

"Suchuwa Sukotto!"

"Guran Saimon!"

"Blue Dragon!"

"Red Dragon!"

_Now, discard thy former strength and reincarnate_

_Under the name,_

_OF YOUR NEW ALLY SUKOTTO!_

The card began to glow a familiar blue light, and as light poured out of the card, the four holders felt heat and energy flow from their arms to their bodies, their hands glued to the Card.

_Under our new contract,_

_We grant you the name:_

The twins opened one eye, winked at each other and cried out in unison

_We grant you our name:_

_BROTHER!_


	10. Nice to Have Friends

"WHAT? BLUE? I liked it better when it was PINK!" Red held the Card, gapping.

"Good job!" Blue gave an enthusiastic thumb up to Sukotto, who was amazingly still standing.

"That didn't take nearly as much energy as it usually does…" Sukotto looked at the two Dragons (who were fighting over whether or not it looked better). _When the Card transformed, those two released a staggering amount of mana… are they REALLY that powerful? I don't even think _they _know how strong they really are…_

"Sukotto-kun, how are we using the _Brother_ to communicate?" Saimon had pulled the twins apart and was looking at Sukotto while the Dragons continued to shout insults at each other.

"Oh, right. One second." Sukotto walked over to Saimon and placed the _Brother _in between Red and Blue. "_BROTHER!"_ He pierced the Card, causing Red and Blue to snap back from each other in surprise. "_Create a means of contact between the two allies!"_

From out of the Card rose two small rings, one blue and the other red. The red one slid itself onto the finger of Red, while the Blue fitted itself onto Saimon's right hand. The two Dragons were placed back to the ground, and Saimon looked at the ring, puzzled. "Just pour a little mana into that baby and we should be able to talk to each other."

"COOL! A gizmo-ma-jig! I feel so high-tech!"

"Blue, it's not a toy. Beisdes," Red waved his hand in front of Blue, "it's MINE! HEE HEE!"

As the Dragons began to fight again, Saimon and Sukotto sat down to try and decide where they should go. "The Wise One told me that the others were probably on the other worlds, and I don't think he's ever been wrong. We should try to find a Tear."

"Well, the one I know about is a good month's walk from here. You think there's more than one?"

"Wait! I remember one of the monks talking about something… He had just come back from a pilgrimage and told me they found a… 'glass wall that rippled like water.' Think that's a Tear?"

"Sounds like a decent description. We'll head out bright and early tomorrow." Sukotto looked back at the Dragons, who had finally stopped fighting. "You guys staying the night here?"

"No, we're travellers! We could never stay in one place for to long." Red crossed his arms and shook his head. "We'll just be on our- BLUE!"

The latter had already fallen asleep on one of the small mats. The boys looked from Blue back to Red, who was lost for words. "We- we really should be going…"

Red froze as the howl of a coyote rung through the air. He dove under a blanket and began to shiver. "Guess that settles it then." Saimon turned to Sukotto, bade him goodnight, and then kicked Red out of his bed. Sukotto got into his beside Blue and laid his head back.

"You know," Blue whispered sleepily, his eyes remaining close, "it's nice to have more friends. We don't feel so alone anymore."

"Yeah, friends are a good thing to have."

"Are you two looking for your friends?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"You're gonna find them all?"

"That's the plan."

"When you do," Blue said, inching closer to Sukotto and huddling up to his chest, "call us over, and we can all eat soup together."

"I'll do that." Sukotto said, smiling as he heard two pairs of identical snores coming from Saimon's mat.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"I don't wanna go, Red! Please? Can't we stay a little longer?"

"Come one, Blue! Stop…being…a baby!"

Red was pulling heavily on Blue's tail, the latter having refused to let go of a hin that marked the fork in the road. While Saimon and Sukotto were facing the left path that ended at the foot of the Fuji Mountains, the twins were (supposed to be) taking the right road, leading to the world's capital. The parting was difficult for everyone, but Blue was obviously not taking it as well as the others.

"If you guys keep that up, eventually the sign will..." but it was too late. The sign had been unearthed, and Red fell to the ground, his brother landing on top of him. The two returned to their feet and, waving good-bye, began walking down the small hill.

"You think they'll be OK on their own?" Sukotto asked worriedly.

Blue had turned to look back, but instead had tripped on a rock, landed on Red, and the two proceeded to roll down the hill in a tumbled mess of limbs.

"Definitely not."

"I agree."

The boys laughed and waved good-bye, then turned towards their own path and began to walk, the base of Fuji Mountain growing closer with each step. As Sukotto looked up at the new destination, he saw a small movement at the very peak. The air had, for a split second, shimmered in a gust of wind, and Sukotto felt his sense of determination renew. _We're coming guys, _he thought and a quick glance at Saimon showed that he was thinking the same thing.

_Just wait a little longer…_


	11. The Tear on the Top

_One second thought…_ Sukotto thought, looking up with a grimace to the snowy peak of Fuji Mountain. _Perhaps you might have to wait a LOT longer, guys…_ He turned to Saimon and rested against a tree, "Do we have to climb the cliffs?"

"You think a group of monks could scale THAT? There's a mountain path that starts somewhere around here. That'll take us close enough to the summit."

"Oh, GOOD! I like paths."

"It's not going to be a cakewalk. It's a pretty old path, and some parts are pretty worn out."

"Well, I'd rather hike than climb."

Saimon shrugged and then lead the way off the main road onto a small, worn path through the dense trees. When they reached the mountain's base, Sukotto saw a rocky, thin path begin to scale the mountain. The path was indeed thin; the two boys would have to go single file. The trail circled around the mountain all the way to the top, which was barely visible for the clouds that covered it.

"You ready? Once we get on the path, it'll be hard to get back."

"Well, we don't have a chance. This may be the only other Tear in this world." The two tied a rope around their waists and began their slow ascent.

Despite the fact that the path was uneven and Sukotto's feet hurt, he didn't mind much. The path offered an extraordinary view of the surrounding land. Sukotto could see all the mountains in the range, and beyond the chain of peaks, a prairie stretched into the horizon. Saimon noticed his companion's stares.

"This world, Corbon, is divided by this mountain range. On one side, we have the Xian temple and the Farmlands, a few towns, and lots of forest. The other side is where most of the commerce and industry call home. The Kingdom lies way beyond those prairies."

"The Kingdom?"

"Yup. It's a separate country, and we don't get a lot of contact between them. It's a big section of land that's protected by giant gates that run all the way around. The residents that do come out just go to the big cities to trade and sell goods. But there was one day at the temple…"

"What happened?"

"A man came to the Xian Temple. I was stuck on cleaning duty that day and couldn't greet him at the door, but the monks said he was the _ruler _of the Kingdom."

"The King came to visit? Wouldn't that have been a LONG trip?"

"Yeah, everyone was really excited. He went into the Wise One's study and stayed their for quite a while. I was cleaning outside there, and I heard small pieces of their conversation."

"You heard them talking?"

"Yeah, the King's body was kind of… sleep talking I guess. They were saying stuff about the monsters that had started appearing, the Kingdom itself and…" Saimon stopped walking and stared out at the scenery. "Something about… me…"

"The King knew about you?!"

"I don't know. I asked the Wise One about the King later, and he told me that they hadn't really said anything important… but I couldn't help wonder…"

"Do you think somebody's inside the Kingdom?"

"I hadn't thought about that. If they were, that's probably why we hadn't seen them in Xian."

Sukotto thought for a moment, and then asked. "Do you think we're doing the right thing then? I mean, if they're there, we shouldn't leave yet…"

Saimon considered this, then kept walking. "Well, even if they were, the journey to the Kingdom would take at least two months. The King came riding on a wyvern, but those are hard to find, and even harder to tame. No, I think it might be better to see what we can find in another world. We can come back some other time, maybe…"

The two continued in silence. The wind steadily began to get colder, and soon the skies around them began to become foggy. Their hands hurt from rubbing against the rock wall to their left. If they hadn't have had the rope, they would've surely lost each other in the snowstorm that eventually blinded them. The situation was helped slightly when Sukotto used the _Air _block the wind. Saimon ignited his Sun rapier, giving the boys a small warmth.

They sighed as they felt the path begin to level out, and just as the road became flat, Sukotto felt the ground under him give way.

"AAH!" Sukotto grabbed the ledge as his feet fell. The rope around his waist tightened, and soon Saimon was above him holding out his hands, the torch lying beside him. Sukotto reached with his free hand, but they were to far apart and Sukotto couldn't release his staff to use a Card. Saimon, thinking quick, grabbed his Moon Saber and held it out, crying, "Moon! Stretch and swing!" The Saber elongated into a Bo staff, which Sukotto grabbed. Hanging on with all his might, Sukotto placed his feet on the cliff wall and slowly began to climb back up to the path.

Making the mistake to look down, Sukotto quickened his pace, finally pulling himself over the ledge with a large grunt. The two lay there, panting, until they felt strong enough to continue. They walked a little futher and reached a flat area covered in snow. It was a large platform on top of the mountain; the summit of Mt. Fuji. A quick glance showed nothing but snow and ice.

"Are you KIDDING me?! We climbed all this way for NOTHING?! AAAHH!" Saimon pummelled the ground with his fists.

"No… I saw it here… It should be…" Sukotto looked around, and then noticed the clouds drifting around them. "These weren't here when I saw the Tear…"

"We almost DIED and we finally make it and-"

"Saimon! That pilgrimage that saw the Tear… what season was that?"

"The warm season. There's no snow or anything, but-"

"So then the sky wouldn't have had a lot of clouds, right?"

Saimon looked at Sukotto puzzled. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I think the Tear may only come when sunlight hits this peak… Would that make sense?"

"I guess…" Saimon looked at the sky. "Doesn't look like we're gonna get any sky for a while, though…"

Sukotto smiled and drew out his staff. "Then, we make some!"

Saimon stepped forward. "Hold on! What if you faint again? We might get attacked in the next world and I can't fend off an enemy and protect you at the same time."

Sukotto smiled. "Don't worry. I don't feel tired at all, for some reason. Using the _Air_ card should've done something, but I didn't even blink. I should be fine until we can get some rest."

"Don't overdo yourself."

"I won't… _AIR! Use wind to break up the clouds!_" The _Air _shot towards the sky, bringing with it a large gust of wind. The clouds began to churn and soon would break up. "We'll just have to wait a little bit." He looked to Saimon, who was staring at Sukotto with an expression of utmost horror. "What's wrong?"

"Y-y-y-y-y-"

"Huh?" Saimon pointed just over Sukotto's right shoulder. Sukotto's eyes widened and his whole body began to shake. "Th-th-there's something REALLY bad behind me, isn't there?..." Saimon remained unmoving as Sukotto slowly turned around to face the biggest beast he had ever seen.

It resembled a gorilla the size of a small house rising up from the snow that it had been sleeping in. It's white fur covered its large head, all the way down to the ends of its muscular arms and thick legs. The visible skin was black, and its beady eyes were locked on Sukotto as it smiled, revealing blood-stained teeth.

"A YETI?!" Sukotto jumped back as the beast dropped on of its fists onto the ground, sending snow flying everywhere.

"How are we supposed to beat that thing?! It's HUGE!"

"We don't have to _beat_ it, just fend it off until we get some sunlight. It can't follow us through the Tear!"

"Then you make that Card of yours hurry up! I won't be able to go for very long." Saimon drew his swords and crossed his fingers.

"Ok, be careful!" The yeti pounded its fist to its chest and gave an ear splitting roar. "Let's get some light!"

_Mission Time! #2: Battle on the Peak!_

Survive long enough for the _Air _to be able to break up the clouds! Saimon'll fend off the attacks while Sukotto gets the _Air_ moving! Once the Tear opens up (if it ever does), jump through to escape the Yeti and save your necks!

Rewards: Access to the new world, and your hides!

…_BEGIN!_

"Moon! Stretch and Swing!" Saimon held his Bo staff and with both hands, sheathing his rapier. He stood in front of Sukotto, who was shooting mana up to the sky and chanting an incantation. The yeti charged full tilt at Saimon, fist winding back for a lethal punch. Saimon met him halfway, and when the yeti swung, Saimon leaped onto his fist, ran up his arm, pole-vaulted up to the yetis head and jammed his staff into the left eye.

The yeti cried in pain as Saimon jumped back down and checked the sky. _Damn it, Sukotto-kun, hurry it up!_ As he looked back, he saw a fist flying towards him. Too slow to dodge, the hit made contact and Saimon was thrown into a boulder. He tried t get up, but his leg sent a shock of pain up his spine that forced him to slump back down. The yeti guffawed, then turned to Sukotto, who was too busy chanting to notice the monster's attack. Saimon thought fast and threw his rapier at Sukotto, crying out "Sun! Stretch and defend! I reject!"

The rapier created a shield between the boy and the charging yeti. Saimon tried yet again to stand, and managed to by leaning against the rock. _Damn it, that shield won't last the Yeti's attack, it's too weak!_ "SUKOTTO-KUN! WATCH OUT!"

Too late, the yeti swung its giant fist towards Sukotto, and with a triumphant cry- hit the shield that bounced back the attack and caused the beast to yelp with surprise. _WHAT?! My swords couldn't be strong enough to block that attack… I thought for sure the shield would break… how-_

Saimon realised with a gasp. _Blue and Red! That pact we made with them… I felt power flow through me from the _Brother…_ did they give me stronger powers?_ Saimon looked at Sukotto, who was still chanting. _Sukotto-kun said he didn't feel anything when he used the _Air… C_ould the twins have given us _THAT_ much power?_

"Saimon-kun! SAIMON-KUN!" Sukotto picked up his staff and ran out from behind the shield, heading straight for Saimon "Run, Saimon-kun! RUN!"

"RUN?! RUN WH-" Saimon looked behind Sukotto. The yeti was chasing him and gaining speed, but even farther, way up in the sky; a break in the clouds, approaching the summit on a giant gust of wind. "The Tear…"

"It'll only be open when that hole hits the summit! The area around this platform is going to open into the Tear! We have to jump!" The two boys, Saimon with some difficulty, ran to the edge of the cliff. The yeti realised its food was about to escape, and charged at the boys.

"Wait." Saimon said, looking up at the hole. "Wait… wait."

The yeti was growing closer. "Saimon-kun…"

"Wait, Sukotto-kun!" Wait!"

The hole and the yeti were nearly there…

"JUMP!" The two boys leaped into the air as a giant arm hooked where they had been only seconds ago. They then came back down, the wind whipping past them bringing tears to their eyes. As the fell past the platform, a hole in the clouds met with the snow on the summit. Sunlight shone down, and the air around the boys seemed to shimmer as their fall slowed to a stop. Dancing colours drifted around them, and formed into glass-like window, which the boys were now floating just inched above. "The Tear!"

The yeti jumped up and down, howling with all its rage. The small earthquake it was creating caused the snow and rock around it to collapse, and as the beast fell to the base of the mountain in its avalanche, Saimon and Sukotto touched the Tear.

_Escape complete!_

_Mission Accomplished!_

Light shone out as the boys sunk into the Tear. Colours and shapes flew slowly past them as sound and time were disoriented. Sukotto looked at Saimon, who appeared to have stopped moving completely. The two boys remained motionless for a split-second, and then, with another flash, the void disappeared. The two boys plummeted though the clouds that surrounded them, and they snapped out of their trance-like state to see the ground underneath them rushing up.

"WE FALL WAY TOO MUCH, DON'T WE?!" Saimon yelled, paddling himself over to Sukotto.

"JUST HOLD ON ONE SECOND!" Sukotto drew a pink Card from his pocket and threw it down towards the ground. A little quicker than normal, he chanted

_Card mastered by Sakura,_

_I ask thee to discard thy former self_

_And reincarnate_

_Under the name…_

_OF YOUR NEW MASTER SUKOTTO!_

Sukotto swung his staff down underneath him and as he caught up with and pierced the Card, he cried out;

_Under our new contract,_

_I grant you the name;_

_GLIDE!_

As though an invisible parachute had been released, the boys' fall was slowed down to a gentle float. Saimon kept his death-grip on Sukotto, who was fighting a very large amount of fatigue. "Whoa whoa whoa! Don't fall asleep! We'll die! C'mon Sukotto-kun, keep it together man!"

"I'll be OK, at least until we get closer to the ground." The two floated down, Saimon continually shouting at Sukotto and pinching him when he was nodding off. They made it to the tree tops when Sukotto's energy abruptly emptied and the two fell through the thicket and landed on a dirt pathway.

"Ouch, that REALLY hurts…" Saimon was clutching his leg and panting. "Damn it, that yeti busted me up good. You okay, Sukotto-kun?"

"Barley… it hurts all over, I'm too tired to move and you're sitting on me."

"AH! Oh, sorry." Saimon dragged himself off the road and used his swords to pull Sukotto into the bush. "We'll just wait for someone to come and maybe they can help… 'Kotto-kun?"

The latter had fallen asleep. Saimon sighed and resolved to wait. It didn't take long until he too succumbed to the long day and fell asleep while sitting up. He had a weird dream, in which he heard some footsteps, a yell, and then felt as though he was being lifted off the ground…


	12. The Book in the Fruits Basket!

"Wh-wh-What?! WHERE- OWWW!" Saimon darted out of his bed, then fell back onto it when he tried to stand on his leg. "THAT HURT LIKE A- wait… Where am I?" Saimon looked around.

He was in a small room, lying on top of a small mat with a blanket. His clothes had been swapped for a cotton tunic and a pair of sweatpants, and two pairs of sandals were lined up outside the door. On the other side, another boy woke up, having been startled by Saimon's yelp. To Saimon's relief, it turned out to be Sukotto-kun. Leaving him to wake up, he used the crutches by his bed to stand on his bandaged leg and looked out the window.

"A city?" Wooden frame houses littered the streets, and people were everywhere. It appeared as though the boys where on the second floor of one of those houses. "When did we get here?"

"I… think I felt someone move us here…" Sukotto was sitting up, rubbing his eyes and slowly rising from his mat. His face and arms had bandages on them, but he seemed okay for the most part. "How's your leg, Saimon-kun?"

"It doesn't hurt too much… Say, do you think we're prisoners?"

"It seems like a little too much trouble to go through for criminals, don't ya think?"

"This might be some kind of preparation for torture."

"Somehow I doubt that. Look. The windows are wide open. We could just walk right out."

Saimon walked over to the door and tested the doorknob. It was unlocked. "Well then, let's do just that. We need to find our equipment."

Sukotto followed him out of the door. They entered a small hallway. They tip-toed down the stairs at the end and reached the main floor. They were almost at the door when they heard a noise behind them. They turned to see- nothing.

"You heard that too, right?"

"Yeah," Sukotto agreed, "sounded like someone was walking… Where did they- AAAAARRRGGHH!"

A sudden pain in his ribcage made Sukotto fall to the ground. H rolled on the floor, moaning in pain, as he heard his friend fall beside him. "Oh no, you don't! You guys can't leave until I say so!" A voice called from above him.

"Listen," Sukotto began, having recovered slightly faster than Saimon, "You can't keep us here forever and I'll fight you if-" Sukotto stopped, choking up. His raised fists dropped and the world froze. In front of him, a girl with almond brown eyes and long dark hair smiled at him.

"Been a while, huh 'Kotto-kun?"

Sukotto stepped forward and placed a hand on the top of the girls head. "You've grown, Meari-chan…"

"Meari-chan, I didn't know you were a cook! This is delicious!" Sukotto said, inhaling a bowl of ramen that she had made for the starving boys. They were seated around the kitchen table of Meari's house, eating lunch and celebrating the small reunion.

"I wasn't when we last saw each other, but they teach you all kinds of useful stuff at Ninja Academy! I learned to cook, clean, sew, arrange flowers, do the laundry, and of course," she added, tapping the hitai-ate on her forehead, "how to fight."

"You know, now that I think about it, of everyone I know," Saimon said, washing his dishes in the sink and sitting back down at the table, "I would've voted you "Most Likely to Become a Ninja." They laughed.

Sukotto looked at Meari. Her green shinobi vest bulged at the pockets, no doubt from the large amount of weapons and scrolls ninja usually carried around. Her green pants and dark brown shirt suggested that she could hide herself very easily in the trees that covered Konohagakure. The only thing Sukotto recognised was the dog-tag around her neck that she had got from her Youth Camp. Sukotto sighed, _I can't believe it's been a whole year… she and Saimon didn't change at all, but I'm starting to wonder about the others…_

"Something wrong, Kotto-kun?" Meari gave him a worried look.

"No, I'm just amazed it was _you_ who found us… what are the chances, eh?"

"It wasn't chance. The Book told me to look for you today."

"The Book…?" Saimon gave her a quizzical look.

"OH! I haven't shown you yet!" Meari ran upstairs, returning downstairs with-

"THE BOOK?!" The boys stared open-mouthed as Meari placed the tattered Book on the table in front of them. They leafed through it, seeing the list of manga, anime and video games they had written so long ago. They turned the page and… "Hey! Where'd we go?" Saimon pointed to the list of names. Only "Bobaku Meari" remained. The rest had vanished.

"It's been like that since I got here. It came with me when I got transported (by a giant lion, no less), and it hadn't changed since yesterday morning, when that story there appeared." She pointed to the next page. The boys began to read, realizing that this was the story that Saimon had told three days ago in the chamber of the Wise One. They followed it to the end, where a new part had revealed itself.

_A year has passed. The friends shall begin to reunite, in order to resist the rising evil that once again threatens the existence of Owari._

"Owari?"

"It means Ending in an ancient language. It's what the world was called back when it was whole." Meari smiled as the boys looked at her, impressed. "The Book told me."

"Ending? Isn't that the name of the evil sword that Ryo used?"

"Yeah, I've been wondering how that managed to work out."

"Maybe the evil lord named it because it was strong enough to rival that of the entire world…" Saimon suggested, thinking hard, "Maybe because it would bring the ending of the world? Does it matter? What we should focus on is- why is the Book shining?"

The Book was indeed shining, or rather, one page was. The list of names let loose a giant flash of light, and when the thee looked again, words were forming just under Meari's name…

"Suchuwa Sukotto, and-"

"Guran Saimon…"

Sukotto put the Book back on the ground. "That list… it was the order we were supposed to write in it, right?" The others nodded. "Well, Saimon-kun and I just found-no, the Book found us, after finding you… I wonder if that order is telling us who'll we find next…"

"That sound right… But I found you both at the same time…"

"But he touched it first…"

"True."

"It's just a theory," Sukotto said, handing the Book back to Meari. "At any rate, I think you should hold on to it, Meari." He added after Meari gave him a confused face, "I mean, that must be why it went with you, right?"

"Okay!" Meari held the Book lovingly. Sukotto and Meari went to go put their dishes in the sink, leaving Saimon at the table to look at the Book some more. They turned to go back, when Meari slipped on some water than had dripped from her cup.

"Whoa!" Meari slipped forward, directly at Sukotto.

"Ah, hold on, Meari-chan, I gotcha!" Sukotto caught Meari in his arms. As she hit his chest, Sukotto had a strange sensation. His blood began to boil, his fingers tingled and his heart stopped. He fell to the ground, still holding Meari, unable to move until-

POOF! AAH! CRASH!

"Hey! Stop goofing around over there, you guys'll-" Saimon entered the room, and surveyed the scene. Meari was on the floor, nursing a bruised elbow, and Sukotto was nowhere to be found. "Are you OK, what happened? Why do I smell smoke?"

Saimon helped Meari up, and looked at where she was sitting. "Isn't that Sukotto-kun's cloak?"

Meari looked at the cloak, looked up at Saimon, and then dropped to the ground again, this time laughing her head off. Tears streamed from her eyes and she pointed to the cloack and held her sides. "I don't see what's so funny…"

Meari, still slightly paralysed by laughter, lifted the cloak of the ground. Saimon stared at Meari, then the cloak, and then turned his attention to the ground. He, too, dropped to the floor, pointing breathless at the small dragon that had been lying under the robe.

"OH MY GOD! I'VE TURNED INTO BLUE!!!" Actually, Sukotto was definitely not blue, but rather coloured like gold. Other than the colour difference, he perfectly resembled the dragon, though his voice had thankfully not become as squeaky. "STOP LAUGHING THIS ISN'T FUNNY!"

"I-guess… this…is…the Fruits…Basket part!" Saimon said between gasps, then words failed him again as laughter took over once again."

"Kotto-kun… you… look so…CUTE!HAHAHAHA!!" Meari's fit of mirth had not stopped, and only increased when Sukotto gave her a death glare.

"Well, if you guys can move, I suggest you get out of the kitchen."

"W-w-why…?BWUHAHAHA!"

"Because I'm likely to change back soon."

"S-s-s-o? SNORT Hahaha!"

"Well, like in Fruits Basket. When I turn back I'll be-"

The two stopped their laugher and looked at each other, but it was too late to do anything.

POOF! " –completely naked."

"AAAAHHHH!" The two left the room with surprising speed, leaving Sukotto to get dressed vehemently. He came out of the kitchen, only to hear another small-

POOF!

He ran into the other room, where Meari sat once again on the floor laughing as an exact duplicate of Red gave her a very angry look. Sukotto didn't move until Saimon turned to him. "I suppose you're happy now?"

"Very." With that, Sukotto collapsed to the floor and laughed along side Meari, where they would be joined by Saimon and remain so for five minutes.


	13. Ninja Academy!

After Saimon had turned back and dressed, Meari had told the boys that she needed to go see her squad captain. Saimon and Sukotto had been only too happy to go with her, and they trio now walked the streets of Konohagakure, pausing at a variety of stores and shops while Meari explained some of the tools she used. The boys absorbed every word of it, and were amazed at some of the amazing tools shinobi got to use.

"Maybe _we_ should become shinobi, Sukotto-kun!" Saimon picked up a kunai from one of the shops and began to swing it, fighting and winning over an invisible enemy.

"That would be hard." Meari came over and swiped the knife from Saimon, placing it back on the shelf. "I had to study for a year before they let me take my test."

"Although, maybe it _would_ be a good idea to try and get better acquainted with these weapons…" Sukotto added, and he and Saimon looked at each other hopefully. "I mean, the next Tear could be far away, and we might run into some… trouble."

"Yeah, we need to know how to defend ourselves against this kind of stuff!" Saimon folded his arms and nodded his head, thinking hard.

Meari gave them a tired look. "You guys are like little kids that want a new toy. These are weapons, not playthings!" The boys returned her look with a reproachful stare. "Well, we can talk to my captain. MAYBE."

"Yay!" The boys high-fived triumphantly, then ran after Meari, who had taken off without them.

"Sir? I'd like to talk to you!" Meari knocked on the door and a voice from inside permitted her entry. She took off her shoes and went inside, the boys following her example. They entered the small room and sat down next to Meari, looking to a hallway as they heard footsteps approaching.

_What kind of captain is this going to be?_ Sukotto thought excitedly, _is he going to be really buff? Smart?_

…_and a big giant sword, _Saimonwas also imagining the unseen captain_ and shuriken everywhere on him and…_

…_or with tattoos on his arms and bandages…_

…_and a whole bunch of battle scars-_ The sliding door opened and out came-

"Aah, Meari-chan… hmm? Friends of yours?"

Sai+ Kotto: KAKASHI-SENSEI?!?!

Kakashi: …Have we met?

Sai: IN MY DREAMS!! AHHHHHH

Meari: Get a hold of yourselves…really…

Kotto: It's very nice to meet you, Kakashi sensei! (Bows very enthusiastically). Meari-chan has told us a lot about you!

Meari: Uh, sensei, remember that Book I told you about a long time ago? (Nod from Kakha). Do you remember my friends I spoke of? (Another nod, Meari points in boys' direction.)

Kakha: Oh, these are the travellers from the other worlds?

Sai+Kotto: Yup!

Kakha: Oh dear, this complicates things…

Meari: Yes, I know, but I thought-(whispers)… What do you think?

Kakha: Do you think they could handle that?

Meari: (Shrugs) they seem pretty up to it. Besides, I just found them!

Kakha: True… very well. (Turns to boys). No doubt you're confused.

Sai+ Kotto: Yup!

Kakha: Well, you've come at an awkward time. You see, we're currently making preparations for a trip.

Kotto: A trip? You guys going somewhere?

Meari: Yeah! I'm going to the Chûnin exams!

Kotto: I seem to have forgotten what those are…

Khakha: Well, right now Meari is classified as a Genin. IN order to get a higher rank, she must take the Chûnin exams being held next week at Hayashigakure, the Village Hidden in the Forest.

Sai: REALLY?! Oh, COOL! Can we come?!

Kakha: That's the problem. These exams are only for high level ninja, and it will be a dangerous place for non-shinobi such as yourselves.

Kotto: Awww, but we want to cheer on Meari!

Khakha: Well, I guess we can bend the rules a little… what are you willing to do.

Sai: ANYTHING!

Kotto: Believe it! (Stares from party) DAMN IT, I've been in this world too long.

Meari: See? Told you.

Khakha: Very well. Follow me.

The Jônin lead the group outside and into a large park. The grassy area covered an impressive expanse for being in the middle of a city. The boys were lead into the centre. Khakhashi took a clock out of a tree hollow and set it on a log. "Uh… what are we doing, Sensei?

"You two said you'd do anything to go with Meari, right?"

"Yeah!"

"The only people that can enter Hayashigakure are Genin."

"Yeah so-"Sukotto froze as he realised what that meant.

"Yes. You'll have to pass the Ninja Academy test."

The boys looked at each other. They realised that this was going to be a very gnarly afternoon.

"What kind of test is that?"

The visible part of Kakhashi's face smiled as he reached into his pocket "Combat skills. You have one hour to score a hit."

The boys shook as they waited for the man to pull out his deadly ninja weapon. _We're supposed to hit HIM?!_

"Well, if there's no choice…" The two primed themselves for battle, "then you'd better prepare, Sensei!"

"Oh, _I'm _not fighting you." He pulled his hand out of his pocket, opening a book entitled "Make-out Paradise." "I'm much too absorbed in my book!"

"What?!" Saimon stared open-mouthed at the man (and the man's questionable book.). "Then who are we supposed to-"

"Heehee." The two turned slowly to face their true opponent. "I hope you guys can fight!"

Sukotto's legs suddenly felt weak. _We have to hit HER_?! "Oh-"

"Crap." Saimon finished his sentence, and then braced himself as Meari jumped into the air.

"WEEE! Don't stand around, you guys! You only have an hour, and I won't hold back!"

"I'll give you guys some advice," Khakashi said, not looking up from his book, "and if you manage to pass, I might have something special for you! Try hard!"

_Mission Time: #3, Ninja Academy 101!_

In order to get to go with Meari to Hayashigakure, you'll have to hit her first! You have one hour to score a hit on this super-shinobi, unless you get killed! Make sure you learn all you can; it'll be useful as the battle progresses! Slink in the shadows, dart through the trees and attack with dead-on accuracy to nab those diplomas and "a little something special!"

Rewards: Ninja Headbands and the Mystery Prize!

"Here I come!" Meari jumped from a tree and flew towards the boys.

The boys brought their weapons to the ready. The looked at each other and smiled. They cried out in unison: "Let's do this!"

BEGIN!


	14. Pass or Fail: Meari's Test

FWT

A kunai flew from Meari's outstretched hand. Saimon swung his claymore up and managed to block the projectile. Sukotto ran up to stand behind him as the swordsman fended off more kunai. Sukotto yelled to him, fishing a Card from his pocket. "Keep doing that! Guard me until I finish casting!"

"Formation Beta! Spell caster's Guard!" Saimon cried. He turned around and smiled sheepishly when he saw Sukotto's blank stare.

"Do you _have_ to name our formations?"

"It makes battle more fun! Besides, the names are good for when we need to organise ourselves quickly!"

"That makes no sense! That name is way too- HEADS UP!"

Saimon turned in time to see a pair of sandals smash into his face. Meari's full weight was pounded into Saimon's head, who fell backward onto the ground, the giggling ninja standing on top of him. Before Sukotto could react, she brought her hands to her chest and formed her fingers into a strange position.

Sukotto gasped. "Is that-?"

"Yup! A Hand Sign!" Meari changed her fingers again and again, changing faster and faster as her mana level began to build. She brought her hands to her face and cried, "Horse! Tiger! Fireball Jutsu!" She placed her hands at her mouth and gave a quick exhale, a fireball erupting from her mouth. It flew towards its target, exploding at Sukotto's feet. He was sent flying into a nearby tree, the smell of burning fabric filling the air. A flock of birds rose from the tree, and Sukotto didn't come out.

Kakashi looked up from his book, "You guys might want to try a different approach…"

"GEE, YOU THINK SO?!?" Saimon had risen up, holding his face. "Why don't you give us some useful advice?!"

"All I'm saying is-"

"SHUT UP!" Saimon ran at Meari full-tilt, changing his Sabre into an axe. "Better be ready for me, Meari-chan!" he teased as he got within reach. "Here I- GO!" Saimon swung the axe in a giant arc and- hit nothing. "Huh?!" He darted his head left to right, trying to find where his target had gone. "Above? In the trees? Or-"

A giggle confirmed his fear. "Underneath!" He looked down to see Meari crouched down to waist level, making yet another hand sign. Before being able to react, Saimon was kicked straight in the chin, snapping his head backwards. His body followed his head, and, after his feet were swept away with a fierce roundhouse kick, he was hit with a strong uppercut that sent him flying into the air.

"I'll catch you, Saimon-kun!" Meari hollered teasingly as the boy begin to plummet back to the earth. She made the Tiger and cried, "Rising Dragon Jutsu!" She slammed her hands onto the ground, channelling her chakra into the soil.

BANG!

A geyser of fire erupted from the ground, engulfing Saimon. It shot towards the sky, taking the form of a dragon before it exploded like a firework. Saimon tumbled back to the ground, where he lied motionless.

"Heehee! Gotcha both!"

"Did you?" Meari turned to see a slightly singed Sukotto stab a Card, crying out, "_SUN!"_ A blast of intense white light shot from the Card, aimed straight for Meari. In the blink of an eye, Meari jumped out of the way from the blast. Another blast followed in the flash of the first, but Meari rolled in the air to avoid it.

"Saimon! Now!" A roar came from Meari's left, and she saw Saimon jumping at her, his Rapier raised to attack. He swung with all his might and-

Hit thin air again. Meari had somersaulted from his swing, and was now flying towards a tree. She landed without a sound and turned to the boys, "That was a good plan, but it still won't work! I'm just too fast for you!"

"Damn it!" Saimon said landing and stomping the ground. "I'm starting to get a complex!"

"It can't be helped.' Kakashi said with a sigh. "You two aren't doing anything right."

"Hey!" The boys huffed.

"In order to defeat a shinobi," Kakashi began, closing his book and turning his head to the boys "You have to think like a shinobi. You are both exceptionally strong, but you don't yet know how to channel that strength into something useful. Furthermore, while that last attack was well thought up, your teamwork still needs to be better. Those kinds of cheap tactics may work on a simple troll, but this is a human genin you're fighting. If you hope to ever accompany Meari-chan to the Chûnin exams, you'll need to do better than that!"

The two boys looked at each other. "Think like a shinobi…" Sukotto wondered aloud. "We've never been shinobi before."

Saimon thought for a second, and then turned to Sukotto, "True, but you and I both know about this manga…"

"True, but I haven't read Naruto in a while…"

"Yeah, but I remember some things… techniques, strategies, stuff like that. We need to use that knowledge to our advantage!"

"So, how do we think like a shinobi, Mr. Expert?"

"Well, I think we should- WHOA!" The boys split as Meari sliced the air between them with her foot.

"Come on! I won't stop just 'cause you guys have! You need to- Guys?" She looked around. "Hey, they're gone."

"Good," Kakashi said, returning to his book, "They're starting to get the gist of it."

"You think they'll be able to pass, Sensei?"

"Who knows? They certainly have the guts…the rest is yet to be seen." The two stood in silence for a minute, and then Kakashi smiled, "Well, better go find them, hmm?"

"Okay!" With that, Meari vanished.

Kakashi glanced at the clock. 30 minutes had passed already. "I wonder how long it'll take for them to notice." He chuckled, and closed his book.


	15. Time is Running Out

"You think she'll find us?"

"Well, you did use _Quiet,_ right?"

"Yeah, she won't hear a thing."

"Then that'll give us _some_ time, at least." Saimon sat down onto the branch of the large tree and sighed. "Sukotto-kun, relax already. You're not gonna fall off."

"But it looks really high," Sukotto said, hugging the large trunk with a death grip, staring to the ground far below, "and I'm starting to feel uneasy with heights."

"We need to focus here. Kakashi-sensei told us to think like shinobi. How do we defeat Meari-chan like real shinobi?"

"From my understanding," Sukotto said, turning to look at his comrade without releasing the trunk, "ninja are supposed to wait for an appropriate opportunity."

"She didn't give us many of those."

"Well, she laughs a lot. Maybe if we can get her to double over laughing…"

"You feel up to it?"

Sukotto groaned. "Anything she finds funny usually involves me getting hurt somehow."

Saimon laughed, "True, but I tried attacking her when she was giggling about you flying into the tree, and she had no trouble dodging. She can even do it in the air!"

Sukotto thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it, she's pretty exceptional at dodging."

"I'll say. What's your point?"

"Well, with the way you swing your sword everywhere, your back is totally open to an attack."

Saimon nodded, "Yeah, I- HEY!"

"I'm just saying that she had a number of opportunities to get behind us and give a back attack. She never took them, even though she said she wouldn't hold back."

"STILL THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO GO AND- hey, you're right. That strategy we pulled off earlier; she dodged the hits, but never tried to counter-attack. She never got behind us… what does that mean?"

The boys thought for a minute. _In order for Meari to get behind us without being seen, she'd have to pull of an extraordinarily fast manoeuvre, but somehow make it look like we hit her so as to not give away her plan. How did the ninja in Naruto do that?_

"Sukotto-kun…"

"Yeah?"

"There are lots of logs in this forest."

"Hmm?" Sukotto looked down. Many logs indeed littered the ground. Sukotto returned his gaze to Saimon, "Well, duh-", then whipped his head back for a double-take. The logs were peculiarly shaped; large chunks were missing from their tops, scratches and scars were cut from their outsides, and one particular one had something sticking from it.

"A shuriken?"

"Someone," Saimon said, thinking hard, "Was attacking those logs with kunai and shuriken. Somehow It looks a little to violent to be practice."

"Not to mention," Sukotto said, looking around, "there are no stumps to be seen around here. Strange that these logs should've moved on their own…"

"They didn't. Those logs must've been moved from somewhere else, and then attacked."

"What would be the point of moving those logs if you were just going to attack them? It would make more sense to stay where the logs are… unless-"

"-The person moving the logs wasn't using them as targets, but defence."

"If said person was defending, it wouldn't make sense to grab the logs and move them. Suppose instead he brought the logs to him-"

"-and used them as a decoy!" Saimon smiled. "We know about that stuff!"

"The Substitution Jutsu!" Sukotto hoped up onto his feet. "Genjutsu (illusion) is used to make an inanimate object into a doppelganger, and when an attack (like a shuriken) hits- POOF! The shinobi activates the jutsu, the decoy takes the hit, and the enemy is open for a split-second attack from behind. Meari hasn't used that jutsu at all…"

"-even though she could've used it a thousand times! Since she hasn't used any other illusions that we could see…"

"Meari-chan," Sukotto said, the _Quiet _returning to his hand, "probably can't use genjutsu."

"Then, let's go out shinobi-style!" Saimon grabbed his swords and jumped from the tree. "Let's go, Sukotto-kun!"

"Uh… hold on one second." Sukotto said, slowly inching down the trunk towards the ground.

"GAH! Damn it Sukotto-kun! Get down here right now!"

"But I'm really-"

WHEEEEEE! BONK! AHHHHHHH! CRASH!

"-_cough_ in pain." He lay sprawled on the ground, a laughing Meari-chan standing high above him.

"You guys really hid yourselves well! It took me at least 15 minutes to find you!"

"15 minutes?! We don't have much time left, Kotto-kun!"

"Okay then (ow), let's (oo geez that hurts) get to it (oof)." Sukotto struggled to get up, and then did a quick stretch. "Ah, that's better! _LEAP!_" Sukotto jumped onto a tree branch, telling himself not to look down. "Don't worry, Meari-chan! I promise you, we'll win!"

"For real?"

"Definitely."

Meari laughed, "Okay then, I don't have to worry about kicking your guys' butts! WHEEEEEEE!"

"Say what?!"

"Horse! Tiger! Fireball Jutsu!"

"Saimon-kun!"

"Right!" Saimon jumped into the air between Sukotto and the fireball. "Moon! Stretch and Defend! I reject!" A blue aura exuded from the sword, which the fireball hit. It fizzled out without a sound, leaving Meari surprised.

"Those are some cool swords, Sai-kun."

Saimon landed back on the ground, returning his sword to normal. "The Shield of the Moon. An aura that repels a wide variety of energy attacks." Saimon said, holding his sword affectionately. "But that isn't all it can do." He leaped at Meari. "Get ready for this!" The two began their exchange, Saimon still unable to hit Meari. She dodged them easily, but made no effort to counter attack.

"What's wrong? Afraid you might hurt me?"

"Nope. Keeping an eye on Sukotto-kun and his light energy there." She said, flinging a kunai right past Saimon's ear. It flew towards the trunk of another tree, where Sukotto had been slowly charging up a _Sun_ beam.

"Whoa!" He Leaped out of the way, the shuriken hitting the trunk with a resounding _thud_. He landed on another tree, which was again impaled with a knife.

"You guys are getting a lot faster," Meari approved happily, dodging a quick lunge from Saimon. "It's taking all my effort to dodge your attacks and stop Sukotto-kun from charging up his Card thing!"

"Well, let's hope it stays that way!" Saimon swung his Sabre, narrowly missing Meari. She shot out a fifth kunai, which flew and caught Sukotto's robe, pinning him to the tree.

"Damn it!" Sukotto hung on the tree, having dropped his staff. "Saimon-kun! Help!"

"I'm a little busy at the moment! Try sliding out of your robe!" Saimon's eyes flicked for just a second, which gave Meari an opportunity to attack. She took it. A quick punch knocked Saimon over the edge of the branch, where he managed to cling on by stabbing his sword into the wood.

AAGGHH! BONK!

Meari looked over the other edge. Sukotto's cloak lay dangling from the kunai, whereas he was on the ground in his tunic, rubbing his head. It was too much. Before she could stop herself, a small giggle escaped from her lips, which quickly escaladed into a full-out laugh. "Sukotto-kun! Hahaha!"

"Dodge THIS one!" Meari looked just in time to see Saimon catapult himself off his sword into a jump kick, aimed at Meari's face. She quickly leaned back to dodge, but lost her balance on the branch and fell towards the earth. "Catch her, Sukotto-kun!"

Sukotto cried, "_AIR!!_" The wind spirit flew up past Meari, slowing her fall as it sailed towards-

"My kunai?" Meari watched puzzled as _Air_ threaded wind through the belt ring on the knife. The _Air_ then flew to another kunai on the tree opposite to it, and threaded wind through that one.

"You remember, Meari-chan? You threw five kunai to five different trees. If I were to connect the dots, what would I end up with?"

Meari gasped as she realised. "That's right! A pentagon!" The _Air_ completed its work, reconnecting the current at the first kunai. The threads of air shone, making the five-pointed star visible. "_SEAL!"_ The star pattern form solidified into a sheet of energy- a sheet which Meari had fallen through to waist level. _By the looks of things, _she thought, _this won't go away until Sukotto tells it to… this could get ugly…_

"My turn! Moon! Fly and Ensnare!" A blue chain whipped from Saimon's hands. Its end plunged into the air current, where it began to snake through the kunai just as the _Air_ had done. It stopped as the entire pattern was surrounded by the chain, then with a quick flash, the chains tightened and Meari found herself wrapped inside of it, her arms and legs bound.

The boys slowly lowered her to the ground. Sukotto walked up to her, "That was fun!"

"Yeah, but you know, you still have to hit me…"

"True…" Sukotto smiled, and then raised his staff. "Forgive me." Meari prepared herself-

-as Sukotto threw it to the ground and lunged at her, fingers outstretched…

From back at the entrance to the forest, Kakashi smiled. A second before the timer had rung, a large cry rose from the forest…

"POKE!"

_Mission Accomplished!_


	16. Packing Up for the Journey

"I hereby congratulate you two on graduation from the Ninja Academy. You are now official genin, and are recognised as such by these hitai-ate." Kakashi handed each of the boys a shiny headband, marked with the Konohagakure leaf. The boys thanked Kakashi and attached their new gear; Saimon wore his on his existing headband while Sukotto's was hooked to his tunic belt.

"Also, for that special thing I promised you, I present you with this." Kakashi reached into his pocket and pulled out- nothing. He held his empty hand out to Sukotto, who gave him a quizzical look. "Hmm? What's wrong? Go ahead, take it! You've earned it."

Sukotto said an uneasy thank you and placed his hand on Kakashi's. "Huh? There's something there…" He groped around the invisible object and found an edge to pick it up from.

"Ah, yes, it seems to do that sometimes… I could never figure out why…"

As Sukotto picked up the object, it shimmered and slowly began to reappear.

"The _Illusion_!"

"Yes, I found it when I was reading a while back. I originally used it as a bookmark, but it kept becoming invisible and I always lost my spot…"

"Yeah, Sensei said it might help me work on my genjutsu, but we never got it to do anything for us…"

Sukotto bowed, "Well, thank you very much! I can tell this one will be useful in this world."

_How come I never get anything?_ Saimon said, hanging his head and sighing, _it's always a Card this and another Card here…_

"Saimon-kun! Come on! You'll get eaten by a coyote if you stay there long enough!" Saimon looked up to see the group was heading back to the village, a good distance away from him. He secured his headband and ran after them.

"Hey! Wait up, guys!"

…

Sukotto looked over the contents of his bag, checking his list occasionally to make sure he was prepared. Tomorrow, the gang would take off with Kakashi-sensei for the exams, a trip that would probably take a good four days' walk. Sukotto finished, placed his bag by the door to his room, and looked out onto the nightlife of the village. _It's a shame we couldn't do a little more sightseeing… maybe when we get back we can ask Meari-chan to-_

Sukotto shook his head, _No, what am I saying? We're just staying so Meari-chan can pass her Chûnin exam, and then it's off to the next Tear ASAP. We can't afford to dawdle in one world for too long, our friends could be in danger in other places…_

_-_Knock, knock-

Sukotto turned to see Meari-chan enter the room. She walked over to the window next to him and rested her arms on the window sill. "All ready to go?"

"Yeah, but I think Saimon-kun will take a little longer still. He's packing all the food."

"Oh good, less work for me!" She giggled, and then sighed, turning her gaze up to the moon, "So, whatch'ya thinking about?"

"Nothing really, just…stuff…" the two stood in silence, gazing out the window. "Meari-chan, once you pass your Chûnin exams, what are you planning to do?"

"Hmm? Weren't we all going to go the other worlds to find everyone?"

"Well, yes, but… I'm just saying… I wouldn't want to force our choice on you… If you want to stay here, we understand perfectly…"

Meari smiled, "You really haven't changed at all, 'Kotto-kun."

"Huh?"

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm gonna go with you guys, and only because I want to." She looked at Sukotto, "Yeah, I'll miss this world a lot, but when I first came here, I missed you guys really bad. So I don't wanna have to feel like that anymore…" The two had another moment of silence…

"You missed us?"

"O-Only a little!"

"Is that so? Then why are you blushing?"

"I'm not blushing, Baka-suke!"

"Of course not, Chibi-ko." Meari poked Sukotto in the shoulder and they both laughed. "I think I'll turn in for the night."

"Yeah, me too. 'Night." Meari left for her own room, leaving Sukotto to get ready.

_You haven't changed either, Meari-chan…_ Sukotto said, watching as Saimon slowly walked over from the door and got into bed, snores rising from his sleeping figure.


	17. Most People Like to Wait for Sunrise

"All ready to go, guys?"

"I am, but Saimon-kun is still sleeping…"

"Ugh. Does he always sleep this late?"

"Well, apart from you and me, most people don't get up at 4:30. They like to wait until the sun rises."

"But that wastes half the day!"

"I don't remember you being such an early riser…"

"Well, I've been living here for a year; these things just grow on you!"

"I guess life at the temple never really forced him to get up this early…"

"Well, we might be late! Can you go get him?"

"Yeah, I'll be back in a second." Sukotto ascended the stairs and knocked on the door. "Saimon-kun? Are you awake?"

A sleepy grunt confirmed it. Sukotto opened the door and shook the boy awake. "Come on, we're leaving now."

Saimon mumbled incomprehensible curses until he managed to sit up. "Do I even wanna know what time it is?"

Sukotto smiled. "Not likely. Come on, get up already. We'll be late."

Saimon slowly got out of his bed and went to get dressed as Sukotto left the room. He came out a minute later and trudged down the steps to where the other two were waiting.

"'Morning, Sleepy-kun!" Meari chimed. Saimon responded with another grunt. "Okay then, let's go meet up with Sensei, guys!" They walked into the street and made their way towards the Academy.

The village seemed very quiet. No lights were on in the houses, no sounds came other than the crickets and other wildlife, and the trio were the only ones in the street. It put Sukotto at ease, reminding him of the walk he used to take to school everyday. They stopped for some breakfast at a rice ball shop, and arrived outside the school half an hour later, waiting for their teacher as they munched on onigiri.

Long after their breakfast had finished and they had played three games of Dai Hin Min, they turned to the road behind them to see their teacher walking up the road, waving an arm. "Good morning!"

"Don't 'good morning' me! I got up at this insane hour to meet you here, on the opposite side of the village, and you decide to sleep in and get here 15 minutes late?!" said the obvious, grumpy due to sleep deprivation.

"Sorry about that, I was forced to make a detour."

"What kinda detour takes fifteen minutes of my precious sleep to-?"

"The others had a late-night mission yesterday and slept in. I had to go and wake them up, and I should say that one of them," Kakashi said, sighing, "took a little extra persuasion."

"The others?" The two boys looked at each other.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you!" Meari said, giggling. "Kakashi's other students are coming with us!"

"He has more?"

"Yeah, unfortunately they were short on Jônin to lead the squads, so I got placed in a special four-man-squad."

"Oh okay," Sukotto smiled. "Are these others… friendly?"

"Uh… depends on how you look at it…"

"Who are they?"

"We're up here!" The three turned to look on the roof, where three shadows stood. One of them had called out in the voice of a young girl.

"They look like wimps…" said a second shadow.

"YOU WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN, YOU BASTARD?!"

"Don't call him a bastard!" The girl's voice yelled at the boys, jumping up and down.

"I'll call him whatever I want!"

"Uh… Saimon-kun… I think I figured out who these are…"

"Well, good! Tell me so at least I'll know who I'm insulting!"

"He hasn't figured it out yet?" Meari said with a sigh.

"Figured out what?" Saimon looked at her, puzzled.

"Hey, look!" The girl shadow said to the third, "he's slower than you!"

"Hah! He must be a real- HEY! I'm just as smart as anyone here-"

"Well, if this rant goes on like I know it will," Sukotto said as the boy continued, "then Saimon-kun should guess it pretty quickly here."

"-And I could kick all your guy's butts-"

"How's that?"

"You'll see," Sukotto said with a sigh.

"And I'm better than all of you! BELIEVE IT!"

Sai: Oh… it's Naruto-kun!

Kotto+Meari: DUH!

Naruto: Huh? Do I know you?

Kotto: Ah, no! It's just-

Naruto: Oh, I see, you must have heard about what a great ninja I am!

Kotto: …Sure, whatever floats your boat…

Sakura: (What an idiot…)

Sai: Oh! Sakura-chan's here, too! You have no idea how long I've wanted to meet you!

Meari: I…uh… told them all about you guys! Hehe… (Steps on Saimon's foot).

Sasuke: …

Kotto: Hey, Sasuke-kun! Nice to finally meet you! I almost feel like I know you, Meari-chan talks about you guys so much! Hah…

Sasuke: (unenthusiastic nod).

Kotto: Hmm (a little put off by the lack of general emotion)… say, that Fireball jutsu you used earlier, Meari-chan… you copied that off of Sasuke-kun here, didn't you?

Meari: Well, it was just a practice technique until I was good enough to make up my own!

Sasuke: … (Stares at Sukotto and Saimon weirdly)

Sai: Uh… hi?

Sasuke: You can't expect me to believe you're real ninja.

Kotto: (fake laugh, begins to sweat profusely) Hahahaha! What would make you say that?! That's a good one! Hahaha!

Sask: Your weapons are too heavy for shinobi, and those clothes don't look a thing like something any serious ninja would wear…

Nar: Hmm? ...Oh! Yeah! What are you guys trying to pull?! (Sakura hits him over the head.)

Sak: You guys are those travellers Meari-chan told us about… right?

Nar: (Stops holding head in pain) OH! You mean you're those guys from the other worlds?!

Sai: Yup! (He explains how they got to Naruto World, Naruto jumping excitedly)

Kotto: (whispers to Meari) Just _how_ many people did you tell?

Meari: Heheh, only these four… (Sukotto is unconvinced)… _really_!

Sai: …and I wasn't going to let it eat Sukotto-kun, so I ran at the yeti, gave a loud war cry and pushed it off the cliff!

Nar: I bet I could do that!

Sai: Yeah, but I did all that with my leg broken!

Nar: Well, I could do it with both legs broken!

Sai: Well I-

Everyone else: STOP IT, YOU TWO!

Kaka: … Sasuke-kun does bring up a good point… no offence, but your clothes stick out like a sore thumb…

Kotto: (looks at current attire and compares with Sasuke's) I guess you're right.

Nar: Don't worry! You guys can borrow some of my clothes!

Sai+Kotto: …Not happening…

Kotto: _Although they do look quite warm._

Kaka: We can find something more suitable for you to wear. As for weapons (boys clutch weapons tightly), you may want to practice with the others to learn how to defend against a ninja. We could be attacked on the way to the exams-

Sasuke: -and I'm sure not gonna protect you.

Sai: Yeah, well, who needs your protection?!

Nar: Don't worry! I'll make sure you don't get a booboo if you can't handle the pressure!

Sai: Look who's talking! You'd better hope I'm there to watch your back if we run into shinobi!

Nar: WHAT?! You wanna fight?!

Sai: Damn straight! Bring it!

Kotto: Those two…

Meari: … are the exact same…

Saku: …They could almost be brothers…

Kaka: As much as I hate to get between a couple such as yourselves-

Sai+Nar: WHAT?!?!?!

Kaka: - we need to get moving. We have an hour before we're scheduled to leave and you two (pointing to the boys) still have to get changed, yes?

Meari: Yeah! C'mon guys! Sakura and I'll get some good stuff for you! (The girls drag the guys away, discussing fashion plans)

Saku: Saimon-kun can have a shirt just like Sasuke's, but without the sleeves…

Inner Sakura: (Haha! He'll HATE that!)

Meari: Kotto-kun, you'd look good in a shinobi vest, maybe with some cargo pants to match, and a regular T-shirt under it…

Kotto: Since when did you care about fashion?

Meari: What? We're in a manga! We need to look cool!

The boys were slowly pulled away from the others (more or less against their will), leaving the other three behind. Kakashi smiled. "Well, it looks like we're all going to get along nicely."

Naruto stood, making a fist and giving a very creepy smile. "Just you watch, you big ol' hotshot loud mouth! I'll show you who the better ninja is! Believe it!"

Sasuke just shook his head. "As if two wasn't enough, now I have to deal with five of them…"

Kakashi turned to them, 'Well, actually, there's a complication to that…"

Naruto stopped threatening Saimon-kun behind his back and turned to Kakashi. "Whaddy'a mean, Sensei?"

"Well…"


	18. The Mystery of the Tattoos

Sukotto stepped out of the dressing room and looked at his new clothes with a smile. _Despite what she was like before we came here, Meari-chan's fashion sense has really developed._

His costume consisted of a simple yellow T-shirt under a shinobi vest. Blue pants fell down to his sandals, and his headband had been moved to his forehead. _Something's still not right though…_ he regarded himself in the mirror, and then unzipped his vest, testing out its effect. _Hah! Perfect!_ "Are you done changing, Saimon-kun?"

"Yeah, yeah," He sheepishly poked his head out from the curtains, "but I'm not coming out."

"What's wrong?"

"I look like… _him_."

"Him?" Sukotto asked as Saimon stepped out of the room and sulked. His hoodie had been replaced by a blue T-shirt, its collar extending upwards to his mouth. His forearms were covered by arm warmers, and he wore white shorts instead of his usual jeans… "Oh, I see what you mean."

"Hey! What's with that stuff you have on?! It looks perfectly normal!"

"Oh, well, Meari-chan picked this out for me. I guess Sakura-chan had other ideas for you…"

"This is dumb. I'm changing into something different." He jumped back into the change room and stayed there for five minutes. When he re-emerged, he held his head a little higher "You think this looks better?"

"I'll say." He now wore a red Chinese shirt that kept the exaggerated collar. A dragon wrapped itself around the front and curled around the mark of a sun on his back. His jeans were back, and he had decided to keep the arm warmers. "You look a lot less like Sasuke-kun, that's for sure."

"Good." He picked up his swords and re-attached their scabbards to his belt. He looked up, and caught Sukotto staring at his left arm. "What?"

"Did you get a tattoo?"

"Huh?" Saimon looked on his left arm. A red circle was depicted on his arm. "Oh, that. I think I've had it since we got transported here."

"Really?"

"Everyone else at the temple had the exact same one on their left arms too. In fact," he said, thinking, "I think everyone I've seen in this… Owari… had it."

"Well, it looks a little different from the one I have…"

"What? You have one, too?" Sukotto pulled up his shirt sleeve, and sure enough, a tattoo had been drawn on his arm. This one, however, showed a small circle inside a larger one, and it was coloured grey.

"I've had it since I got here. Just like you…" The two boys looked at each other for a moment, and then walked out of the shop (paying first for their purchases.)

"Hey, you guys look neat!"

"Meari-chan, could I ask you to roll up your left sleeve?"

"Huh?"

"Please?" Meari did, and the boys gasped.

"Another one?"

"Why is mine different than everyone else's?"

"Something wrong, boys?" The two turned to Kakashi and showed him their tattoos.

"Does _everyone_ have one of these?"

"Well, of course. Everyone in the world is marked with that symbol. It's a tradition that every nation follows. Although," he said, turning to Sukotto's symbol, "that one, I've never seen before."

"Why am I the outcast?"

"Don't worry. Just make sure no one sees that. They may take you for an alien (although, technically, you are one.)"

Sukotto rolled his sleeve back down and picked up his sack, as did Saimon. The group walked over to the town gate as the sun began to rise. Kakashi signalled to the guards on top, and slowly the large wooden gate creaked open. A long pathway was revealed, dipping down a hill into a large forest. The boys awed at this amazing spectacle, seeing land stretch out beneath them. With a nod from Kakashi, the group walked forward, out of the town, and onto the path that would take them to the Chûnin exams.

…

The sun was dropping behind the trees when the group finally set up camp. Exhausted from a day's walk, the group began to set up tents, make a fire and cook some food. Sukotto sat on the ground and rubbed his feet, glad that he was finally able to rest. Saimon took a seat beside him, stretching out and groaning thankfully. "Ooooh! Feels nice to sit down."

"I know… I just wanna have a hot meal and take a nap."

"Walking for that long is a pain." Naruto had joined the two, stretching his legs.

Kakashi came over to the boys. "Tired, are we?" The trio nodded. "Then, I say its time for a little training session!"

"WHAT?!" The three gaped at their teacher. "Are you nuts?! You must be joking! I don't believe you!"

"Excuse me, but where do you think we're headed?"

"The exams..."

"Right. Do you think that this is going to be some wishy-washy little test? This is for serious, high-ranked ninja. People die there. Only the strongest survive, and the weak won't be saved by anyone if they can't handle it. If you have any hope of even getting close to the other ninja taking this test, the most extreme training possible needs to be the standard. From now until we get to Hayashigakure, we'll be training every night, every day, every waking moment."

The whole gang remained silent. Sukotto was too lost in his own thoughts to comment. _If people die in this test, will Meari-chan be okay?_ He looked over to where she was. She returned his gaze with an expression that Sukotto knew all too well. _No, she'll be fine. If this is what she wants, I know she'll work for it with everything she has._

"So I'll do whatever it takes!" The others looked over to where Sukotto, Saimon and Naruto had all stood up at the same time.

"We'll gladly do this training of yours…"

"We'll show you just what kinda stuff we're made of…"

"And when we get to the exams, no one is going to beat us! Believe it!"

"Idiots…" Sasuke said with a smile.

"Guys…" Sakura giggled.

"Yeah! Me too! What they said!" Meari had jumped up along with them. "We'll show 'em who the real ninja are!"

"Right!" Sakura jumped up too, "we won't quit! CHA!" The gang looked at Sasuke, who had still not jumped onto his feet.

"…" He noticed their glance. "I'll do everything I can, but I don't need to jump up and act like a child to prove it.

"HEY!"

"Well then, it looks like we're all ready to go!" Kakashi said with a smile. "Then allow me to tell you how we're going to do this." He walked over to the two girls. "You two will spar together every night. You'll only be allowed to use your fists and your feet. No chakra or weapons."

"Right!" The two girls looked at each other and as they locked eyes, the boys could almost see the sparks dance between them.

"Why don't we make this a little more interesting, Meari-chan?"

"Go ahead, surprise me."

"If you quit first, you have to sing the Trunk song and dance around in a frilly pink dress."

"Fine, and if I win, you have to dye your hair blue and kiss Naruto (with reference to "Dare or Truth" by element-girl5)." The two spat in their hands, shook on it, and then jumped into the trees.

"Women truly scare me."

"No arguments here."

"Go Meari-chan…"

"… They brought a frilly dress?"

"As for the three of you," Kakashi said, pointing to everyone but Saimon, "Naruto-kun will make as many shadow doppelgangers as he can. You two will attack and destroy each and every one of them until you find the real Naruto-kun. He can hide wherever he wants, but if he drops the illusion _once,_ he'll go without dinner-"

"Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to hold those things?"

"-and did I mention that Sasuke-kun and Sukotto-kun will be attached together by a chain?"

"I refuse."

"Oh no…" CLINK. The duo looked down to find their ankles hooked onto a chain.

"Begin."

Sukotto and Sasuke turned to Naruto, who screamed and ran into the forest. As the two pursued, a giant cloud of smoke drifted from the forest, and Saimon could hear yells, screams and shouts of 'Believe it!" echo through the night.

"Finally," Kakashi began, turning to Saimon, "you get to train with me."

Saimon shuddered, his fears having been confirmed. "What kinda training are we doing here?"

Kakashi began to glow with a blue light, which Saimon recognised as visible chakra. "I'm going to teach you a very special technique. I believe the best way to learn is to experience first-hand. If you can dodge every blast of this attack, then your body will be ready to use it."

"W-What happens if you hit me?"

"Who knows? I've only used it on a human twice, and they both died."

"W-W-W-WAIT WAIT! YOU CAN'T EXPECT ME TO-"

Kakashi laughed. "Begin."


	19. Post Training Crisis

"Looks like we're the first ones back." Sakura sat and winced as she placed an ice pack on her head.

"Well good," Meari said, wrapping bandages around her bruised arms, "we get first dibs on the noodles. Pass the miso."

The girls filled their bowls and sat down, sighing heavily. The two had finally finished their assigned hour of training (although it had seemed much longer). Seeing as neither was about to accept defeat and lose the wager, they had fought all out and had given each other a considerable amount of bodily damage. Kakashi had told them that their physical strength would have to improve to better balance out their abilities, but Sakura felt as limp as the noodles she was eating. A glance at Meari's strained movements and the large amounts of bandages she had on her arms proved she wasn't feeling any better.

"Hey! I don't hear Naruto's doppelgangers anymore..."

Sakura perked her ears. "Maybe they're almost done."

"Ooh, I really hope Naruto couldn't hold the illusion. It would be so funny if he just had to sit here and watch us eat."

"That's a little mean Meari-chan…"

But Inner Sakura had a different opinion. "HAHA! That would be a RIOT! MORE NOODLES FOR ME! CHA!"

"Too bad! I didn't!" The girls turned to see the three boys walking over to the camp. Sasuke and Sukotto were panting, scratches and cuts littering their bodies. Naruto was fine except for two fist-sized bruises on his face. "They had to fight through every single one until they found me!"

"And it wasn't a fun experience," Sukotto said, unlocking the chain with a key Kakashi had left behind; "Sasuke-kun was being very uncooperative."

"And you were being very slow."

"I can't keep up with you at that speed! It's not my fault you kept slipping! Besides, I got way more Narutos than you did!"

"You took too long! I had to fend off fifty attacks while you used one Card."

"Yeah, but that Card got rid of at least twenty of them! You could only take on five at a time, maximum!"

"I could take on twice as many if I didn't have you chained to my foot!"

"Come on guys, let's just sit down and eat." Sakura pulled Sasuke away and sat him down.

"'Kotto-kun! I got a bowl ready for you here!"

"Better hurry up, or else I'll eat it all! Believe it!"

The five seated themselves around the fire and struck up a conversation.

Kotto: So, how was your training, girls?

Meari: HARD! I'm tired! (Collapses onto Sukotto's shoulder and whines)

Sak: I haven't done anything like that before. I don't think I'll ever recover… How was it for you, Sasuke-kun?

Sas: … (Death glare at Sukotto)

Sak: Are you really _that_ mad about being chained together with Sukotto-kun?

Sas: …

Meari: Why'd Kakashi do that, again?

Kotto: He didn't say. I think he wants us to figure it out ourselves.

Nar: Maybe you guys just look cute together! HA!

(BOOM! BANG!)

Kotto+Sas: Idiot.

Nar: Oww…

Sak: You deserved it.

Kotto: (Looks around) Are Kakashi-sensei and Saimon-kun back yet? (Girls shake heads) They've been going for a while.

Meari: Did anyone hear what they were doing? (Everyone shakes heads)

Sak: Now I'm kinda curious.

Nar: I wanna do what he's doing!

Kotto: Does anyone else smell burning fabric?

Everyone: (sniffs) Yeah…

Sak: Look!

A figure was walking to the fire with a strange hobbled step and his upper torso bent over to his legs. A repeated groaning sound came from him with every step, the smell of burning cloth and sweat drifting over to the camp. As his face came into the light of the fire, the group gasped.

"SAIMON-KUN?! WHAT HAPPENED?! WERE YOU ATTACKED?!"

"You look awful!"

"Oh my God!"

His entire body had been mutilated by… something. Three separate gashes oozed blood from his head, cuts and burns covered his arms, his swords were gone, and, in his stomach, a giant circle had been clean cut from his shirt, revealing a large burning wound. Sukotto ran up to help him as Saimon collapsed onto his knees.

"What did he do to you?!"

Saimon was too weak to reply. The two slowly made their way over to the camp, where Sakura got out her bandages and immediately began to cover his cuts. "Can anyone do healing arts?" The group shook their heads. "Oh crap, he's lost a lot of blood. How about herbs? An ice pack? Anyone with those?"

Sukotto dug into his robes and pulled out a Card. "_BLOOM!"_ Different herbs and flowers drifted down to Saimon's side, which Sakura snatched and began to apply to the wounds. Meari pressed an ice pack to his burns and Sasuke and Naruto went to get a bed over to him.

---

Twenty minutes later, Saimon was sleeping, most of his body covered in bandages. Sukotto laid a bowl beside him for when he woke up. He sat down and sighed, looking over the extensive damage. _I seriously thought he might die._ A noise outside led Sukotto out of the tent to see Kakashi coming up the road, carrying Saimon's swords. "Yo! How's Saimon-kun?"

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HIM?! WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP?! HE ALMOST DIED, THANKS TO YOU!" Sukotto choked.

"I didn't do anything intentionally. Saimon did all that to himself, under his own will and against mine."

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT CRAP! TELL ME STRAIGHT! WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"It's not my place to say. When he wakes up, you can ask him to tell the story." Kakashi sighed, "I can understand that you're angry, and I promise you I never meant to cause him that much injury." He placed a hand on Sukotto's head. "You healed him that quickly? Looks like I made the right choice sending him here right away. I'm sure he'll be the energetic Saimon-kun we all know and love by tomorrow morning." He looked as Sukotto hung his head. "Okay?"

Sukotto sniffed and wiped back tears. "…I'm sorry, Sensei. I was just… scared. Really scared."

Kakashi smiled. "That boy is much stronger than anyone here thinks. I found this out first hand tonight. If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about him." Sukotto gave a small laugh. "Well then, how about some of those noodles?" Kakashi left for the fire, leaving Sukotto outside the tent. He looked in and saw Saimon's face twitching as his arms groped for something in his dreams.

Sukotto smiled. "Stupid." He closed the tent and rejoined the group by the fire.

_Due to popular request (which here means "an idea that randomly came to my head while I was walking to school"), I have decided to start an OMAKE section at the end of my chapters! This won't happen all the time, just when I get a cool, funny idea!_

_WARNING; THE FOLLOWING CONTENT MAY BE A LITLE TOO RANDOM FOR SOME PEOPLE'S TASTES! IF YOU HAVE A HEART CONDITION OR SUFFER FROM PREGNANCY, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE KILLING YOURSELF LAUGHING!_

OMAKE #1: The Creation of Owari! 

One (and a little bit) year ago, three friends and I (Rekkushi-chan, Roren-chan and Jeshika-chan) thought of a cool way to keep in touch over the summer! We thought we'd begin a story that we could pass around and write about in sections! We developed a character, a central plot and story line and immediately got to work!

Unfortunately, this story (titled Our Story) is not posted for your viewing pleasure (yet)(DUH DUH DUUUUUH!)-

We continued doing this for a whole year and a bit, and I'm proud to say that Our Story is still going strong! There is only one problem we didn't oversee:

One of our writers (who will remain nameless) got a serious case of writer's block and struggled for… a while… trying to finish their part. This left me with a whole lot of spare time (that really should've been for homework… meh) and nothing to do (besides the aforementioned homework). Expressing my boredom with my good friend Meari-chan, (element-girl5) she gave me a link to her fan fiction, Dare or Truth (which IS posted on this site!)

If you've happened to read this particular fan fic, there's no need for me to explain how the tears from my eyes almost drowned me as I killed myself laughing at her awesome sense of humour. I thought to myself _this looks like some serious fun! Maybe I should do something like-_

CLICK!

And so the idea was born. I told all my friends in this story, and I got some awesome feedback! I was also very happy, for I hoped that this story would help… the aforementioned writer… break down her writer's block (or as we called it, the Wall).

I brainstormed some ideas and decided to go with the idea from a game me and Saimon-kun used to play back in elementary (from which I used Blue and Red, whom were in every RPG we enacted! They rock!). I looked up our Japanese names (with some help from Remikku-chan) and reached a consensus on the manga/anime/video games I wanted to use ( the only ones I had read…heh heh heh). I set up profiles for everyone and set off to work!

Unfortunately, I had no title. I turned to a few people to help me find one. It was Remikku-chan again who helped me with this one! I told her the story about the sword of Ending and she told me, "Well, "Ending" in Japanese is owari…"

CLICK 2!

I had a title (in Japanese, making the story and instant hit!)!! It picked up from there…

2 B Continued!


	20. The Night of Blades and Blood

"Ow…ow…ohh that one hurt…" Saimon slowly hobbled after the group, trying in vain not to put any pressure on his right leg. "Could you slow down a little? I can't walk that fast, I'm too sore!"

"And you're lucky that's ALL you are right now. You were about to die yesterday." Sukotto sighed as he ran back to lend a hand to Saimon.

"'Don't remember too much about last night, actually."

"Well, that's probably a good thing." Sukotto turned to the rest of the group. "I'll stay behind with him. You guys go ahead. We'll catch up when he feels stronger." The ones ahead nodded.

"Sensei! Let me stay with them, too! Please?" Meari raised her hand and jumped excitedly.

"I suppose. Someone'll have to watch out for them."

"HEY!"

"Thank you, Sensei!" Meari bowed, than ran back towards the guys as the other four continued down the road. "C'mon, Sai-kun! Up and at 'em!"

Saimon gave her a small grunt and restarted his walk. "So, I suppose you two wanna hear about what happened last night… right?"

Sukotto laughed nervously. "If it's okay with you… PLEASE?!"

"Yeah, come one. You at least owe us an explanation. This guy," Meari jerked her thumb in Sukotto's direction, "was about to murder Sensei."

"Oh, Meari-chan! You're so funny!" Sukotto laughed over-enthusiastically, clapping his hand over her mouth. "Really! A riot! Hahahaha…OW!"

"That's gross! Your hand smells bad!"

"You don't have to bite me!"

"Yeah, I can tell you."

The two froze. The looked ahead as Saimon dropped slowly to the ground and painfully stretched out his legs. At an inviting glance from him, the other two ran over and sat down next to him. He sighed and began.

FLASHBACK MODE!

"Begin!" Kakashi's fingers and hands flew together, forming blurred hand signals as the chakra around his body glowed brighter and brighter. "This is my own jutsu, the Lightning Blade. It consists of a large amount of chakra compressed into my hands, and then launched at the opponent, creating a blade strong enough to slice lightning. It can cut through anything for that matter, and is almost impossible to dodge."

"And you expect me to do that?!"

"As you won't be trying to hit me while trying to dodge it, I imagine it might be a little easier. But this jutsu requires an immense amount of bodily strength. If you were to use it as you are now, it would undoubtedly cause you to lose consciousness. When you are able to dodge every single attack, you'll be ready." His hands stopped moving, and he brought them to his side. "LIGHTNING BLADE JUTSU!"

Saimon barely had time to react. Just as he jumped out of the line of fire, a flash erupted from Kakashi's hands and an intensely bright blade-shaped beam of blue chakra flew towards him. The swordsman sidestepped the blade with a quick shuffle. _That wasn't so-_ Saimon yelped. The blade had expanded just before it had faded away, giving Saimon a cut down his bicep. "Argh! What the hell?!"

"I told you, the beam is essentially my own chakra. It's still mine to control, and even though it gets harder as it grows longer, I am able to alter its shape. I had it expand to reach you when you dropped your guard." Kakashi readied another as Saimon drew his swords. "What are you doing?"

"That was too fast for me to avoid." Saimon got into his ready position. "You don't know everything about me, Sensei. I can't move that fast. If I were to try to completely dodge one of those, you'd just change its shape, I'd get cut and that'd be the end of me. My only choice is to defend against it, too."

"You need to start paying attention. This blade can cut through _anything_. I doubt your swords will be an exception." He began to glow once more. "But maybe you need to experience it first hand." He brought his hands in front of him as Saimon began his jump. "LIGHTNING BLADE JUTSU!"

The blade came again. Saimon was already in the air, at the same time bringing his blue Sabre down beneath him. As he beam passed under him, it predictably expanded and reached for him. "Moon! Expand and defend! I reject!" The Lightning Blade hit the sword-turned-barrier and was deflected. Saimon landed on a branch and turned to Kakashi with a smile. "What you know about chakra, you lack in swords. Maybe it's true that your blade can cut anything when it's condensed, but when you expand it like that, it loses a lot of power to increase its range. If the "steel" of your blade grows too thin, it won't be able to cut even the weakest of shields, yet alone my Moon Barrier."

"And yet I wonder how long you'll be able to keep up your Barrier. Isn't that just chakra, too?" Saimon's smile diminished. "You're already beginning to feel it taking its toll on your energies, your _mana_, as you call it. I, however," Kakashi began to charge again, "have plenty at my disposal. We'll see which runs out first. LIGHTNING BLADE JUTSU!"

Saimon jumped from the branch as another blade blew off the top of the tree he had been resting on. A fraction of the blade ricocheted off the trunk and hit Saimon's barrier with surprising force. The blow knocked Saimon into another trunk, where he hit his head and bruised his arms.

"Damn it, this thing is full of surprises!" Saimon got back up, wiping the blood out of his eyes. "Crap, where'd he go?" Saimon turned as a glint of blue caught his left eye and the cry of Kakashi reached his ears. He dove off the tree, bringing his barrier up as the weapon struck. Instead of blasting the tree to smithereens, the blade divided into two lesser blades and began to bounce off the trees like a form of pinball. _Damn it, he can make it bounce too! Chakra is starting to become a pain in the-_ His thought was cut off as he saw the blades shoot behind him. He turned too slowly, just in time to see the blades split into four smaller ones. The shot at Saimon, two slicing his arms, the others missing by a hair. "AAAARRRGGHH!" Saimon dropped to the ground, bending over.

"Concentrated chakra isn't like matter. It's almost a living thing. I can make it as hard as a rock, or I can bend it and stretch it like a whip. This is why ninja train so hard in the field of chakra manipulation; if you can control chakra perfectly, imagine the kinds of moves and techniques you could execute on your opponent. This is why you have to be able to pick it up and move! You have to be able to react in a second's notice and know exactly where to move in order to dodge! Blocking isn't always effective! If you keep that up, you'll DIE!"

"Shut up!" Saimon lent against a tree to try and stand up. "Sometimes dodging isn't an option! Until I can reach the right speed, I won't be given the luxury of being able to jump out of the way. Besides, my right is almost paralysed right now, and my left isn't so hot either; if I attempt to dodge your next attack, I'll be cooked for sure." He brought his swords to a guard position. "So, get to it already! I only have a few days to learn this technique, and I don't intend to quit!"

Kakashi frowned as he began to charge another. "I'm giving you to the count of three to pick yourself up and jump out of the way. This one is going to be full power, and if you stand there, I guarantee you won't come out alive."

"Gee, I'm about to wet myself, Sensei. I don't intend to die."

"ONE!" Kakashi's chakra began to glow the telltale blue.

"You might as well fire it now! I'm not moving from here! I won't run away!"

"TWO!"

"I don't care if I sound like Naruto or not, I refuse to run away! I'm going to block your Lightning Blade at full power, right here and now! You had better believe that!"

"THREE!" Saimon gasped as he saw Kakashi vanish. That last word had come from behind him, from a great distance away. A flash reflected off the trunks of the trees and he heard the gunshot sound echo behind him. He knew that, at any second, the beam would make contact with its target…

The world seemed to slow down to a stop. Kakashi saw the blast leave his hands and fly toward Saimon's back. When the blast had reached the halfway point, something unexpected happened; Saimon turned around as fast as a whip and brought his swords in front of his face.

"STOP IT! JUMP! NOW!" His voice seemed to echo slowly.

"You know the saying, Sensei; Wounds on the back, a swordsman's greatest shame." Saimon laughed with a look of triumph. "MOON! EXPAND AND DEFEND! I REJECT!"

The beam reached the boy just as a blue barrier was erected in front of him. An earth-shaking blast ensued as the two forces hit.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Saimon gave a loud war cry as the beam raged against the shield. Sparks and debris flew from the contact, sending run-off roaring above and beside Saimon. The light was immense, and Kakashi could no longer look. He covered his face in his hands as a final blast rocked the forest.

Kakashi slowly brought his hands down. The trees around them had been either uprooted or burnt. A large crater had been dug in front of Kakashi. In the centre was a form that slowly came into view as the smoke cleared; a blue shield, which was slowly disintegrating. It revealed the form of Saimon panting, his head hung and his swords lying on the ground beside him.

"Saimon-kun?" The boy didn't respond, or for that matter make any sign that he had heard Kakashi. "You blocked it… Incredible…"

"No…" Saimon whispered, his voice rough and weak. "I… the shield…it broke… I'm sorry….Sensei…" At that time, Saimon erupted in an explosion of blood as the wounds opened. His arms, legs and face poured blood, and at his navel, a fist-sized hole oozed blood onto his smoking burnt shirt.

"SAIMON-KUN!"

(END FLASHBACK)

"…and then he sent me back to the camp. That's all I can remember. I don't even know how I got back."

Saimon looked from the bandage on his stomach to Sukotto and Meari. Sukotto was staring unblinking at him with an expression of worry, and Meari was close to tears.

"BAKA!" Meari flung herself at Saimon, and wrapped her arms around him.

POOF!

Meari sat holding the small dragon in her arms, crying uncontrollably. "YOU AND YOUR STUPID SWORDSMANS PRIDE! YOU COULD'VE WALKED AWAY JUST FINE, BUT NO! YOU HAD TO IGNORE SENSEI AND TAKE THAT BLAST HEAD ON! DID YOU EVEN STOP FOR A MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT US?! WHAT IF YOU HAD BEEN KILLED?! WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE… WHAT YOU HAVE…" The tears flowed unstopped down her face and onto Saimon, who began to cry too…

POOF!

A second dragon was wrapped around Meari's neck, this one crying too. "Don't think about that," it said, "we're okay. We're alive, and that's all that matters…" The three remained in sobbing silence, letting out a night's worth of worry.

They were interrupted by a glow coming from Saimon's finger. As the three looked, the saw that the Blue Ring was giving off a warm light. Saimon also began to glow, and at that moment, he changed back-

POOF!

"AAH! I'm- oh…"

-wearing his clothes. In fact, the clothes were clean; the burns, scratches, tears and stains were completely gone, and, as Saimon inspected himself, so were his injuries.

"What? How did that-?" Sukotto was interrupted by a falling object. It landed in Sukotto's hands. He smiled. The object was a projection of the _Brother._

"Those guys…" Sukotto smiled as the Card returned to the heavens. "Thanks, Red…Blue…"

---

"Okay, I'm changed again. Let's head out."

The three moved into a light jog in order to catch up to the rest of the gang. They ran for about an hour until their team came into view. "Hey guys! Sai-kun's all better!"

"Really?! That's great news!" Sakura smiled and jumped into the air.

"Oh good! Now I won't feel bad when I beat you to a pulp!"

"As long as he doesn't drag me down."

"Yeah, we're all happy I'm better! Would you mind waiting up for two seconds?!" The three caught up just as Sukotto felt a strange sensation.

"Wait, you guys!" The other two looked back. "I'm feeling…something."

"What is it?" Sakura looked around, worried. The entire team quickly got on their guard and glanced over the area. "Someone is…using magic…"

"Magic?" Meari reached into her kunai pouch. "As in, not a jutsu?" Sukotto nodded. "But as far as I know, you're the only one in this world that can do that."

"Not anymore, I'm sure it's magic I'm sensing." Sukotto's head snapped as he felt a pulse flow from the ground underneath Kakashi and the others. "Hey! Run!"

Too late. The ground underneath them cracked and shattered, revealing a carved spell circle. The print shone with a pale blue light, and the four dropped to the ground, shaking uncontrollably.

"You three! Get out of here!" Kakashi yelled. Slowly the four stopped shaking and in a final pulse of light, the spell circle vanished and the four lay on the ground, frozen into statues of ice.

"SENSEI! You guys!" Meari ran over to the team, pounding on the ice, trying to break them from its cold grasp.

"Meari-chan! Stop! Get over here! We need to stick together!" Meari reluctantly ran back over to the boys, who had already prepared their weapons.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to freeze _you_. Those guys would've complicated things." A voice rang out around the trio.

Saimon looked around and yelled "Who's there? Get out here right now and unfreeze them!"

"You still talk too much. But if it'll make you happy, I'll come out." The three tensed. They waited a minute before a sudden blast of smoke burst in front of them. A person in a black cloak stood before them, looking away from them. The figure bent over to pick up what appeared to be a playing card from the ground. As they did this, the hood of the cloak fell behind her, releasing platinum-blonde hair. The person turned and smiled, holding a Jack in her hand. "Satisfied?"

The three jumped and stuttered in unison. "R-R-ROREN-CHAN?!"

_DUH DUH DUUHHHHHHHHH! I know what's going to happen next, but the suspense is killing even me!_

_Sorry these last couple chapters took so long! My documents refused to let themselves be uploaded, and I went away for a competition this weekend…_

_But it's okay because we're back on track! Enjoy some Omake!_

OMAKE!

… As I borrowed more manga from my friends, the ideas came quicker and quicker (particularly from Tsubasa, one of my new favourites!). My brother encouraged me to pick cool theme songs for everyone, so I did (listed in my profile).

Roren, Remikku and Meari (who is still writing her awesome fan fic) started reviewing it, all with very helpful, positive and all around hilarious advice! Correcting me on my Japanese, telling me my spelling gave them nightmares, giving me a leg up on the humour factor, I was so thankful! When Samasa-chan gave me a review, I was about to cry! Arigato!

Jeshika was always so happy to read a new chapter, and she made me feel so happy about my writing! She gave me lots of new ideas, and I always left her company thinking _WOW! I MUST BE ONE HELL OF A WRITER!_

Samasa and Emiri supplied me with all the energy I needed to write, and inspired a few plot twists which will come in later in the story!

Finally, one day, Saimon came to school and gave me a folded piece of paper. Within, it showed a detailed drawing of the Red and Blue fight scene (were you perhaps expecting a pair of swords?) I was so happy! He told me he'd draw a whole bunch of scenes for me, which I was only too happy to agree to! If only I could show you those drawings! They're SO awesome, THANK YOU SAIMON!

And that's the story of the making of Owari! We're even joking about making it into a manga some day (FIRE THE CLAMP CANNON! GET THEM HERE NOW!) But until then, please continue to visualise the fight scenes! (I swear, it's just until we gather enough Dunkaroos and graphic novels to trade for Mokona! The Clamp Cannon idea got a little too costly, so we decided we'd try a more… imaginative idea).


	21. A Cool Embrace

"W-What… W-Who… W-Why did you… I'm confused." Saimon looked at Roren, then back at their frozen party members, then back at her. "You didn't… they're not…"

"They're not dead. I just immobilised them for the time being."

"But… but why?"

"Because they would've interfered."

_Leave it to Roren-chan to not say more than she needs to._ Sukotto sighed. "Roren-chan, forgive me, but you can understand why we're all a little confused right now. Can we just sit down and talk about this for a second?"

Roren shook her head. "No, I don't have that much time to explain it to you. I came here to something important." She stowed the Jack she had picked up into her sleeves. She then picked up the collar of her cloak and, in one sweeping motion, whipped it off her neck.

Underneath, she wore a black jacket that fell to waist level. Its large sleeves almost completely covered her gloved hands. The jacket was zipped open, revealing a dark purple sweater. A long sash circled around her waist, tied in a knot at the side, coming down elegantly to the knees of her studded pants. Jewellery adorned every part of her body; her ears, neck, wrists and hands bore many glittering bangles and chains of gold and diamond.

"What's this thing you have to do?" The bad feeling Sukotto had accumulated in his stomach grew, and he already knew the answer, seeing the smile she used to give him everyday outside the school.

"Think of it as a test." She brought her arms out to her sides, where blue energy began to gather. Crystals of ice formed inside her hands, and as she bent down into a crouching position, the ice formed jagged claw blades that she held with a determination that Sukotto knew all too well.

"Get ready guys, "Sukotto said, transforming his key. "Roren-chan wants to fight."

"WHAT?" Saimon looked at everyone with a shocked expression. "C'mon guys, that's craziness! We can't fight each other!"

"She's not giving us much of an option, Sai-kun," Meari pulled out a kunai, and looked at Saimon as he gasped. "Don't worry! We'll win, and then we'll make her spill everything!"

Roren laughed. "That's very bold of you."

Meari returned the laugh. "Well, it's true."

Sukotto sighed. "Roren-chan…"

"Sukotto-kun, there's no going around this. If you hold back…"

"…I won't."

Saimon sighed, and pulled out his swords. "Craziness, I tell you."

_Mission Time #4: Friendly Fire?_

Roren just appeared out of nowhere, and now she's demanding a fight! Not only that, but half your party has been frozen into blocks of ice! There are a lot of questions with no answers, but there's one in particular we're all wondering; what is this new-found friend capable of? If you hope to answer any of these, you'd better fight and win! With Roren-chan, who knows what's going to happen if you lose?

_Rewards:_ A whole lot of solved mysteries.

…_BEGIN!_

"WEEE!" Meari charged at Roren, kunai in hand. She swung it up to attack the face, but Roren had already brought up a guard. The knife hit one of the ice claws that Roren had conjured, which deflected the blade without a scratch. "Huh? What is that?" She looked at the crystal that had stopped her attack. "Is that _normal_ ice?"

Roren smiled. "No." She disengaged the kunai and swung a clawed hand up for an uppercut. Meari back flipped out of range, landing a few feet away. "It's reinforced by my MP."

"MP?"

"Another name for chakra, you could say. It won't melt in heat, and it's extremely hard." She swiped her hand, sending a claw flying at Meari. The ninja jumped out of the way, letting the claw fly towards Saimon, who was standing in front of Sukotto in their Spell caster's Guard Formation.

_Whoa!_ He brought his sword up and shouted, "Sun! Grow and defend! I reject!" The crystal hit the shield and plunged right into it, barley stopping in front of Saimon's body. "That…was close…" He yanked the crystal out and tossed it over his shoulder. You throw those things too fast!"

"Ow! Saimon-kun!"

"Oh, sorry, Sukotto-kun! 'Forgot you were behind me!"

"Now I have to start all over!"

_So ice is her thing, huh?_ Meari stared at Roren, crouching in the branches of a large oak. She retreated further into it and started a series of hand signals. _Then let's see how she handles this._ Meari dived from her hiding place to another tree across the road, while bringing her hand to her mouth and crying. "Fireball Jutsu!" The resulting fireball flew at Roren, who was engulfed. Meari landed on another tree on the other side of the open path. She turned to see what her attack had done and saw Roren standing without a burn.

"I told you, this ice won't melt." She taunted, laughing. Meari then saw it; a thin barrier of mist had fizzled out the fireball.

"Oh cool! Lemme guess! You pumped more- MP, right? - into your ice claws, and then broke it into smaller parts. That formed lots of little tiny ice crystals that were cold enough to freeze the water in the air, which cooled and smothered the fireball. Right?" Roren's laugh stopped. "Yay! I did!" She looked at Roren and pulled a book out of her backpack. "Chapter 22 of the Ninja Academy Student Guide; How to Discern An Enemy's Use of Chakra! I got good marks in that one!" Meari stowed the book back with loving care.

"So," Roren said as the mist around her dissipated, "you've certainly realised by now that I was freezing your feet to the tree?"

"Oh yeah, I knew- wha'?" Meari looked at her feet. "Uh-oh." As Roren's mist had disappeared, Meari realised that Roren had been collecting the ice underneath her. Meari's feet were now encased in a solid block of ice that was connected to the tree. She tried to yank her feet out with her hands, ("Darn it! I can't… get 'em… out! Wah!") but to no avail. Instead, the ice quickly formed over her hands, and Meari was officially stuck. "This is bad…" She hollered over her shoulder. "Guys! I'm kinda stuck! Keep Roren-chan busy for a little bit while I get outta here!"

Roren turned towards Saimon, who gulped. "Why didn't you attack me while I was busy with Meari-chan?"

"What? Why would I do something dirty like that?!"

"That kind of thinking will get you killed someday." She charged, forming more ice claws in her hand. "Don't let a single opportunity go by!"

"Now, Saimon-kun!" Saimon jumped up at this call, and Roren saw Sukotto standing behind him, holding a Card at the end of his staff. "_SUN!_" A blast of light erupted from his staff, forming into a powerful laser. Roren dodged to the right, not slowing down at all. Sukotto tried a few more times, but Roren evaded every one of the sunbeams.

As she got near enough to attack, Saimon landed back down and ran at her, swords ready. They neared each other, she jumped, and he swung. Saimon's attack made contact with a block of ice as Roren jumped off his head ("OW!") and sent a massive snowball at Sukotto, who got hit and was knocked against a tree ("OOF!").

"Is that really all you guys have got!?" Roren said, sighing. "I don't even know why I bothered to-" She jumped back as a metal chain whipped towards her. It struck the ground, and then flew back to its owner- Meari. "I thought I bound your hands."

"You did." Meari giggled as the chain wrapped itself around her like a snake. "Chapter 46; Channelling Chakra into Inanimate Objects." The chain flexed again, and fired itself at Roren. She jumped out of the line of fire, but the weapon altered its course in midair and struck her on the arm.

"You are persistent, aren't you?" Roren huffed, clutching her arm. Meari nodded. "How long do you think you can keep up that chain of yours?"

"Hopefully just until I can do… this." Meari bent the chain around the ice that was binding her. She closed her eyes and her chakra level began to rise. The chain began to glow red, and Meari cried, "Salamander Chain Jutsu!" The chain ignited, and the ice began to melt. Soon, Meari stowed her chain back to her backpack and dropped to the ground. "If your ice was using your own MP to keep it cold, I just had to use more of mine to counteract yours and cause it to melt."

"So, maybe you _all_ aren't hopeless." Roren formed her claws into a new weapon; a small dagger. "Come on, I don't have all day!" The two brought their knives to ready, and charged. Their knives began to click endlessly together, causing sparks to fly. Each would strike, parry the other's attack, disengage and repeat. In the flurry of activity, Roren caught Meari in the chin with a well-aimed punch. "Heehee! Better watch it!" Anyone who knew Roren well knew that she was having the time of her life at that moment.

Meari dropped onto her hands and caught Roren in the arm with a strong roundhouse. As she got back up to her feet to continue the fight, a small patch of ice formed underneath her, causing her to slip. "Ah!"

"HAHAHA!" Roren twirled her dagger in the air and brought it up to swing; but found something stopping her from doing so. She felt a similar sensation at her legs. She looked to her hands and feet and saw they were bound by a blue chain and the _Air_ respectfully. Behind these attacks: Saimon and Sukotto, standing one on each side of her. "What are you doing?"

"Taking your advice, Roren-chan!" Saimon waved a blue chain above his head. "My sword can turn into a chain, too!"

"Meari-chan isn't going down without a fight! If you try to use your ice attacks, Meari can take care of them. You can't move, and your weapons won't be able to cut you out of our trap. It's over!"

"I'm afraid it is. You guys are out of time." Roren reached with some difficulty into her sleeve and pulled out three playing cards. "I have to go." With a flick of her wrist, a card was sent to each of the trio, landing at their feet. With a bright flash, all three cards exploded, causing smoke to envelop the whole area. As the visibility dropped, Sukotto felt the _Air _lose its grip on Roren's legs. _Oh crap, what's she doing now?_ Sukotto reached to pull out another Card, when he felt a pulse of intense mana come out of one of them. Yanking out that Card, Sukotto found himself looking at the _Libra_, from which a large amount of power was radiating. _Are you trying to tell me something?_ Sukotto looked at his staff, and shrugged, throwing the Card in the air;

_Card mastered by Sakura,_

_I ask thee to discard thy former self_

_And reincarnate_

_Under the name_

Sukotto swung his staff down as the Card fell back down to him;

_Of your new master Sukotto!_

Sukotto staggered as an immense amount of chakra began to pour from the Card. _This isn't normal! Something about this Card is different then all the rest…_ He regained his composure and tried to finish the transformation;

_Under our new contract_

_I grant you the name;_

…_Scale?_

While the mana pouring from the Card didn't cease, nothing happened. Sukotto dropped to his knees as another pulse of mana overwhelmed him. _Damn it, this is bad! What else could I name it?_

_I grant you the name;_

…_Constellation?_

Again, nothing happened. _This is one tough Card to name! Of all times to do this, why'd it have to be now?!!_

"Having trouble, Sukotto-kun?" Sukotto winced as a sharp crystal was pressed to his throat. Roren reached out and grabbed the Card from behind its captor. The mana stopped pouring from it, and Sukotto found it a little easier to breathe. "Well, if you're not going to be using it…" She flipped over him and landed in front, dangling the Card in front of him.

"Roren-chan! Give that back! That's important!"

She looked at the Card. "You think it would sell for a lot?"

"ROREN-CHAN! GIVE IT BACK, NOW! DON'T JOKE AROUND LIKE THAT!"

Roren gave Sukotto a serious look. "If you want it back, you'd better hurry to the next world. I might decide I don't want to keep it and use it to get rich. Chances are this would go for quite the fortune." She turned and walked into the cloud of smoke until she disappeared. "So, get a move on!" Then there was silence.

_Mission Failed_

---

"You guys okay?" The smoke finally began to clear, and Saimon was able to distinguish his friends' silhouettes.

"Yup, I'm alright. I think she missed us on purpose." Meari waved the smoke out of her face. "This stuff smells really bad."

"You okay, Sukotto-kun?"

"I'm fine, but," he made his way over to the rest of them as the last of the smoke was blown away, "Roren-chan stole it."

"Stole? Stole what?"

"The _Libra_." Sukotto looked at his staff, and hung his head. "That was a really important Card. I could feel it… It was as though it was asking me to be transformed… But… But I couldn't do it! And now I may never see it again!"

"Sukotto-kun, maybe Roren-chan changed a little over the last year-"

"She didn't change at all, Sai-kun."

"-_but_," Saimon continued, "if I know her, she wouldn't just steal something important to you because she felt like it. Before we started she said she had a reason to fight us. Even though we don't know that reason, I'm sure she had good intentions, and I'm pretty sure the _Libra _is in safe hands. And whether she's on the other side of the world or in another one entirely, we'll find her, get your Card back and get some questions answered"

"…Thanks, Saimon-kun."

"No sweat."

"Uh, guys? The team's defrosting." The boys looked, and sure enough, they could see that the ice holding their group was melting away.

---

"WHAT? WE MISSED THE WHOLE THING?!" They were all seated around a fire, the newly re-animated four trying to warm themselves up. The trio had just described the happenings of that afternoon, and Naruto was taking it a little hard. "WHY COULDN'T THEY JUST FREEZE SASUKE?!"

"I can't believe I let myself get caught in the same trap as Naruto…"

"I was so close to Sasuke…Just one little movement of my arm…"

"So, this Roren-chan is another one of your friends?" The three nodded to Kakashi. "Well, she must be very talented."

Sukotto moved very little, staring into the fire. _I know it couldn't be helped, but somehow if I was able to act a little quicker, maybe I could've… _He stood up quickly startling the others. "Sensei! I want to start tonight's training right now!"

Kakashi looked at Sukotto with an interested expression. "Oh? Did we find some extra motivation?"

"I can't believe I've taken so long to think about this!" Sukotto ran inside a tent and brought out a chain. "Well, we need to get started right away!" He ran over to Sasuke. "Quick! Put this on!"

Sasuke looked at Sukotto as though he were a cockroach. "You must be joking. There's no way I'm starting right now. I'm tired and my legs still feel numb. Give me an hour."

Sukotto's eyes flared as he stared at Sasuke with as much hatred and anger as he could muster. "Put. It. On. Now." Fires blazed in his eyes, and a cold wind began to blow through the camp, extinguishing the fire. Sasuke shivered, and then slowly bent down to pick up the chain. He attached the chain and stood up hesitantly. "Okay."

"Naruto-kun?" Sukotto turned slowly over to Naruto, who took off into the forest in a flash. Sukotto and Sasuke ran after him, and there was silence.

"What…was that?" Kakashi and Sakura stood, staring at the spot where the three boys had disappeared.

Meari and Saimon sat drinking their tea, undaunted. Saimon looked up at the stares of the other two. "I guess we forgot to mention how Sukotto-kun gets like that."

Meari stretched. "It'll be useless trying to stop them. Kotto-kun's in competition mode." Meari looked at the remnants of the fire. "Although, _that's_ never happened before."

"Well, he's a magician now. That kinda stuff is gonna start happening all the time…"

"I wanna learn how to do the eyes-on-fire thing…"

"Me too…"

The group sat in silence for a while, until Kakashi spoke up. "Well, in that light, why don't we all start training early?" The three nodded. "Okay, then. Let's get going." Sakura and Meari left for the other side of the forest while Kakashi and Saimon made their way down the road. Before leaving, Meari turned back to give Saimon a worried glance. He smiled and waved, then turned to follow Kakashi.

"I hope he comes back okay this time." Meari turned to see Sakura watching the two as well.

"Yeah…me too." The girls waited until both of them had disappeared down the bend, then walked into the forest and began their fight.

_Jeez, that was a LONG one… oww my fingers haha_

_I don't have an Omake for you this chapter, but instead, I have a mission! For the next chapter, I'd like to start the first Interview with the Characters! WOOT! I'll be asking Saimon-kun questions (if you didn't know by now, the OC's in this story are indeed my real friends with pseudo-names) and if you have anything you'd like to ask our resident swordsman, please send me a message, leave a review or contact me in another manner! Rude, sexual questions will, of course, be ignored. Questions about crushes and embarrassing moments will _**not **_be!_

_Happy Reading!_


	22. Teamwork

_I apologise for the long wait for this one… I've been extremely busy the past week and I had to completely redo this one… But it's all good now! Enjoy!_

Sukotto released his staff as he heard the telltale cry of Naruto echo through the forest. Moments later, countless Naruto doppelgangers surrounded him and Sasuke. "He made a lot more than last time…" Sukotto tried a quick count. "Perfect!"

Sasuke gave him the same look as earlier. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Sukotto turned and raised his eyebrows. "Why did you decide to start training this early?"

"Because, Sasuke-kun," Sukotto said with a broad smile, "I figured out the point of this exercise."

At that time, the Narutos spoke up. "This is gonna be a long night for you guys! I have at least a hundred of clones right now; it'll take you forever if you don't stop talking and start attacking!"

Sasuke was as uncaring as ever. "Quiet, pea brain."

"OH YEAH?!" A Naruto leaped at Sukotto. "I'll take care of you first, and then work on Pretty Boy over there!" Sasuke was on the other side of the magician, too far away to be able to stop the attack. Sukotto was wide open without a Card ready to defend himself. Naruto pulled back his fist and-

BAM!

-was knocked back into a tree, disappearing in a puff of smoke. Sukotto shouted with joy, having whacked the clone hard with his staff. "Sensei is trying to help us help ourselves!"

Sasuke kicked another Naruto in the head as a large group began to rush at them. "What are you talking about?"

"In my battle with Meari-chan," Sukotto swung his staff to trip another clone before giving it a fierce blow to the stomach, "Kakashi-sensei probably noticed that I was relying too much on my Cards and Saimon-kun. I wasn't even trying to attack physically." He twirled around to knock off a few more doppelgangers. "That's why he chained me to you; so you wouldn't run off and try to do everything yourself. He wanted to show me how I was _supposed_ to battle!" Sukotto jabbed his staff at another Naruto who had attacked Sasuke from behind. "He's teaching you how to act as a team member, and me how to defend myself without using so much mana."

"He always has to make it so complicated." Sasuke threw a Naruto at three others. "He has to go and make us figure this out by ourselves…"

"Maybe he thought we'd learn faster." Sukotto pondered as another couple of Narutos got caught in the jaw.

"Fat chance." Sasuke dropped to his hands and gave a strong side kick to a Naruto. "I work best alone."

"I do too, but I don't think either of us is getting out of here too quickly." Sukotto pointed out the number of Narutos. "We haven't even scratched them yet."

Sasuke eyed the small army of clones and growled. "Damn it. He's made a lot of them." He turned to Sukotto, who smiled.

"I promise not to slow you down!"

"You can try," Sasuke frowned, "but I doubt you'll be able to keep that promise." He reluctantly swung himself around. The boys were now standing back to back.

Sukotto raised his fist in the air. "GO, TEAMWORK!"

"Say that again and I'll kill you." Sukotto instantly brought his fist down and returned his attention to the enemy. _As long as he's willing to try… I'll do my best!!_

It wasn't easy. After Sukotto began to strike Naruto after Naruto, he found that his arms began to weaken and the staff slowed down. _My arms are too weak! This is getting hard! Maybe I should've sparred with Saimon-kun a little more-_

"ARGH!" A Naruto had succeeded in stabbing Sukotto's arm with a kunai. The wound was relatively shallow, but Sukotto's arms were already weak from swinging his staff. He dropped to his knees as blood began to ooze from the cut. Sasuke, hearing the sound, turned and looked down on him.

"You can't be serious." Sasuke groaned as Sukotto tried to pull himself up again. "Get over it."

"That's… easy for you to say… ow." Sukotto managed to stand again, but his right arm was burning too strongly for movement.

"If this is your limit," Sasuke said, fending off a clone's attack, "you won't even be able to get _near_ Hayashigakure. Why don't you go back to camp and give up now?"

"But… I can't... move it…" Sukotto tried to move his hand to his staff, but it was just too far. His arm slumped back down to his side.

"What's the matter?!" A Naruto spoke up from the crowd. "You get a boo-boo? Come on! That has to be the lamest excuse EVER! I've had wounds twice as bad as that, and I've been able to do ten times more than you can!" The others joined in, creating a chorus of taunting voices.

"You don't even deserve to travel with us!'

"Go home, wimp!"

"Go cry to your mommy!"

Sukotto looked at the Narutos, and back to the gash. _They're right… I'm being a baby. Look at what Saimon-kun survived through… and I can't even lift up a scratched arm… Damn it…_

A Naruto continued. "Fine! If you're not going to do anything-"

"-allow me to even it up on the other side!" Another Naruto charged from Sukotto's left, a kunai extended. "Take this!" He brought it forward and cut straight-

CHINK!

-into Sasuke's shoulder.

"Wha?!" The Naruto was repelled back with a punch into a tree, where it vanished. Sukotto looked up at his partner, who had now begun to bleed profusely.

"Sasuke-kun…"

"I don't even know why I bothered to protect you," Sasuke remained facing away from Sukotto, "if you won't do it yourself…" He pulled gauze from his pocket and wiped up the wound gingerly. He stretched it gingerly and got into his ready stance again.

_Damn it… Damn it…_Sukotto looked at Sasuke's shoulder, at his own wound, at the army of Narutos… _Damn it! DAMN IT! _ "DAMN IT!"

Sukotto took a roll of bandages from his vest pocket. He quickly tied them from his wound down to his fingertips. "DAMN IT!" He yanked on the roll, forcibly pulling up his arm to his staff. Pain seared through his entire right side, but he took no notice. Instead, he wrapped the other end of the bandages to his staff, attaching his hand to it in the process.

He gave Naruto the death glare of a lifetime. "Call me… a wimp…once more…" Standing with his back to Sasuke, he brought his staff to the ready. "I won't let go of my staff until everyone of your clones is gone." He heard Sasuke bring up a kunai behind him, and the pain from his arm slowly began to feel better and better as his resolve hardened.

"Fine! Have it your way." Sukotto detected a hint of joy in Naruto's words. The clones formed hand signals, and their number suddenly doubled.

Sasuke remarked the scene with a slow exhale. "He's going to keep doing that. We'll need to get rid of all of them at once." He turned to Sukotto. "Any ideas, Wimp-kun?"

Sukotto looked around. _That's a lot of Narutos…We'll need a strong attack… a pretty wide one too… No taijutsu could get rid of them quick enough…_ He looked up. The tall trees stretched high into the sky, probably higher than 100 metres. Through the canopy, Sukotto could see the light of the afternoon sun. Sukotto dug into his pocket and pulled out the _Leap_. _If I could just use this one Card…_ He remembered the Libra with a pang. _I need an opening._ "Sasuke-kun… Can you do a Substitution Jutsu?"

"Of course."

"Can you do it so that we end up on a branch up there?" Sukotto pointed to an ideal tree.

"Alright." Sasuke began his hand signs, speeding up considerably as more Narutos closed in. He formed the one that Sukotto recognised as the illusion sign. At the same time, Sukotto could feel a small piece of Sasuke's chakra attach itself to an old branch lying in a tree above the ground. "Done. We'll just wait for-"

"AAHHH!" A ninja launched itself at the boys. It swung a fist at Sukotto's face. Just before contact, Sukotto had the strangest sensation of being feather-light for a split second. The scenery around him blurred and he found Sasuke and himself standing in the branches of a tree. Looking down, he saw that Naruto had made contact with a rather large branch.

"Do it now, before they see us."

Sukotto nodded, and pierced the Card. "_LEAP!" _ The spell circle formed under him and Sasuke, and when it faded, they each had two small wings on the backs of their sandals.

"What's this?"

"One second." Sukotto looked up at the branches above them. He planned out a route, and then checked the length of the chain. He turned back to Sasuke. "It's a wind spirit. It increases the mana concentration in your feet, letting us jump higher."

"Is it safe?" Sasuke poked at the wings on his sandals.

"Hasn't let me down yet."

Sasuke noticed the smile Sukotto was wearing. "Are you going to tell me the plan, or do I have to guess?"

"Well, I need you to do a Fireball Jutsu. A _big_ one." Sukotto pointed to the sun. "If I can get up past the tops of the tress, I can pump some of the _Sun_'s energy into your jutsu."

"You're super-powering my fireball?"

"That's the plan."

Sasuke closed his eyes. Sukotto could almost hear the gears grinding as Sasuke evaluated the odds. "Alright."

---

"One, two, go!" The boys pushed off from the branch, the _Leap_ taking over. They flew to a different tree, landing sideways on its trunk. Taking advantage of the momentary cohesion to the tree, they altered their direction and Leaped again, zooming to another tree at a slightly higher altitude. The chain connecting them provided little margin of error; one slip up and the both of them would tumble to the ground far below. Sukotto focused only on his targets, trying hard not to think about what would happen if they fell from so high up.

"Bad news."

Sukotto's hand slipped off a trunk as his concentration was momentarily broken. "Whoa!" He quickly regained balance and shot off towards another tree. "It better be _good_ bad news! I almost killed myself there!"

"Naruto found us."

Sure enough, if he strained his ears, Sukotto could hear many Narutos screaming and beginning their chase after the boys. They had only reached the half-way point up the tree, and as the voices grew clearer, Sukotto realised they weren't going to make it without some difficulties. "Try to slow them down with-"

FWT FWT! AHH! CRASH!

"…Never mind. I guess you already thought of that." The partners continued their ascent, Sasuke flinging projectiles down to the pursuing Naruto. Sukotto managed to steal a glimpse at the situation-

-and gasped as the first wave of clones reached attacking range. _Damn it! _He returned his gaze to the treetops._ We're so close…_ "SASUKE-KUN! STOP HERE!" The boys skidded to a halt on a branch just as the Narutos reached their altitude.

"Any ideas?" Sukotto prepared to go through a long fight.

"I say," Sasuke said, a grin spreading across his face, "we do some crowd surfing." He motioned for Sukotto to follow and flew towards a Naruto.

The Naruto flinched as he saw the two fly towards him. "Hey! What are you- AH!" Naruto's head met with Sasuke's foot, the latter giving a good push and rocketing into the air. "You bastard! I'll- ARGH!" Sukotto followed suit, laughing as he caught the gist of Sasuke's plan.

"LEAPFROG!" The two jumped on the clones, slowly gaining height and getting closer to their destination. They arrived at the farthest Naruto, who was panting at the top of a branch from having run so far up.

"What are you-ARGH! AH!" He disappeared in a puff of smoke, and the duo rocketed through a layer of trees and into the sky.

"Now comes the easy part!" As they began to climb higher and higher past the mat of leaves beneath them, Sasuke commenced a long series of hand signs while Sukotto brought out the _Sun_. "_Capture the energy of the sun and let it flow to Sasuke! RELEASE!" _The spirit of a white-haired woman flew in front of the sun and absorbed a large ball of mana. She turned and sent it to Sasuke, who began to glow as the last signs was formed.

He brought his hand to his mouth and screamed at the top of his lungs, "FIREBALL JUTSU!" A meteor of flame erupted from Sasuke's hand, falling down towards the earth and the group of doppelgangers. Despite their efforts to escape the blaze, they were consumed and vanished as the meteor burned through the canopy.

And as the meteor hit the ground and fizzled out, there was silence…

---

"We might've overdone it _just_ a little." The boys Glided down slowly to the ground and surveyed the after-effects of their assault. A neat hole was burned into the forest, devoid of any vegetation. The soil beneath them was black and still warm from the impact. "You think we killed the real one?"

"No, he's too stupid to die." Sasuke did a quick survey around the forest, and then walked behind a tree. He came around the other side, a slightly singed Naruto in tow. "See?"

"He can't be alive. Is he even breathing?"

"He just passed out. Having so many doppelgangers for that long must've pushed him too far." Sasuke dropped him unceremoniously onto the ground. "He'll come to when he smells food."

Sukotto laughed and bent down to unlock the chain. "There we go! Let's go back for-" Sukotto stopped as he saw that Sasuke had already run off. _He _really_ wants to get back at Kakashi-sensei,_ Sukotto sighed. He looked and realised with a weak groan that Sasuke had left Naruto for him to carry back alone. _Joy_.

And so began a long, tiresome journey back to camp with a smouldering ninja dragging behind.

_---OMAKE---_

_You've cast in your questions, and now, here it is; the first ever OWARI: Interview with the Characters! Our first guest is the resident swordsman of the party, my good friend, Guran Saimon!_

Sai: (walks in and looks around) Who're you talking me to? There's no one here…

Kotto: (laughs nervously) Well, they WILL come! I'm sure of it! (Cue the tumbleweed)

Sai: Okay…

Kotto: Sooooo… why don't you tell the audience-

Sai: -Or lack thereof-

Kotto: - about yourself!

S: Isn't that your job?

K: (Sighs exhaustedly) Just help me out here, okay?

S: Um… Okay, I'm Saimon! I'm the same age as Sukotto-kun, and we've been friends for (counts on fingers) seven years now. My hobbies include playing online RPG's, drawing, robotics-

K: …Impulse buying…

S: SHUT UP!

K: Well, we seem to have an audience now (a girl with brown hair and green eyes clapping and cheering loudly). It'll do…

S: Say, don't I know her?

K: …so let's begin! (Ahem…)

K: Question 1: What's your favourite animal?

S: Uh… I'd say… a wiener dog!

K: …

S: They can fit ANYWHERE! They're so convenient! And they're cool they way their bellies drag on the ground!

K: This might've been a bad idea… Moving on…. Question 2: Owari is based on many different manga and anime. Which manga/anime is your-

S: Bleach. I really like the swords and all the shinigami! Hollow Ichigo rules! (Goes into Hollow Ichigo fantasy…)

K: Question 3: Who's cooler: Red or Blue?

S: Red!

K: WHAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

S: C'mon! He's a _fire_ dragon! He beats Blue hands down!

K: What if Blue were to freeze Red's mouth shut?

S: Wouldn't he just be able to melt it?

K: Blue's ice is colder than that! Besides, Blue's stupidity makes him funnier and much cuter!

S: But they're identical twins…

K: We'll continue this later (Three guesses as to which person made up which Dragon XD)

K: Question 4: You've been called the "Cloud" of the story. How does that make you feel?

S: I'm _CLOUD_? YES! (Saimon does the happy dance)

K: (Looks at question again) Huh… I always thought of you as more of a _Sora_…

S: But I have Cloud's necklace! See? (Shows necklace)

K: I found out a while ago that Cloud actually doesn't wear a necklace…

S: …Really? (Saimon's necklace disappears in a _Cloud_ of smoke (if you'll pardon the pun))

K: Yeah… weird, isn't it?

S: But… that's creepy… I'm gonna look into that later… I was almost sure he had one… (I want my necklace back…)

K: Question 5: It was recently discovered that Mishiro-san was a Saimon fan! Your thoughts?

S: I have a fan?! Really? Uh… oh…. um I mean… uh… but of course! (Runs hand through hair)

K: Yeah, congratulations… you narcissist bastard…

S: And just how many Sukotto-kun fans did we have again?

K: You are _so_ dead after this… Just you wait… Question 6: What do you _really_ think about Sukotto-kun? I'm kind of curious too…

S: Do I have to answer…?

K: On second thought, let's skip that question. Whatever you have to say, it won't be positive…

S: That's true (MWUHAHA)

K: Question 7: Are you jealous that Sukotto-kun has a harem and you… wait… WHAT?! Um.. er… uh… eh… (eats paper)

S: What was that?!

K: Nuffink. Wet's go to da neskt questshun… (swallows)

S: (What a rigged interview…)

K: Question 8: Is there anyone in your current travelling party you'd like to beat up?

S: YES!

K: Ooh, who? (Please don't say me, one concussion is good for the time being…)

S: Meari-chan!

K: Oh, really? (I'm saved!)

S: She's so violent! It makes me angry!

K: Um… I'm not sure fighting her would be the exact opposite of regulating the violence… But anyway… Question 9: What is your most embarrassing experience?

S: Uh… oh… I figured this one was going to come up… One time, when I was seven, my family went to a Chinese restaurant. I had to go to the bathroom, but the signs only had the Chinese symbols for man and woman on it… I just kinda picked one and did my thing… and a couple girls came in…

K: HAHAH! SAI-KUN NO SUKEBE! SAIMON-KUN'S A PERVERT!! (Ahem) How did that turn out?

S: I hid in a stall until they left, and booked it out before someone saw me… It was terrifying… STOP IT!

K: (Regains composure again) Right… um… well… Okay, Question 10: Do you have a crush on anyone? Maybe someone from a manga?

S: W-WHAT?!

K: C'mon, you can't expect us not to be a little curious…

S: T-THAT'S WAY TOO PERSONAL! I REFUSE TO ANSWER!

K: So there _is _a special someone?

S: I… no… wait… stop… GAH! (Saimon spontaneously combusts)

K: Well, I guess that's all the questions we have for you, Saimon-kun! That wasn't a _huge_ train wreck!

S: (Lies smouldering on the ground) I don't think I'm gonna recover from that one…

K: Oh, don't be so dramatic… (Turns to audience, now with an impressive four people) If you have any questions for Red, Blue, or the two, please get them to me when you can!

Blue: Yeah! They probably wanna know ALL about me!

Red: Who would want to know any more about _you_?

Blue: I sure would… I think I need to go on a journey to find myself…

Red: That doesn't make sense! Why do you need to find yourself if you're already here?

B: I never thought of it like that…

R: Aren't you glad you have me here to set you straight?

B: Yeah! Thanks, Red! (Brothers hug)

K+S: Something's wrong with those two…

_The Dragon Interview will be coming up in the next couple chapters of Owari, depending on how long I plan to sleep this coming holiday!_

_I'm also thinking about redoing the first couple chapters because, let's face it…_

_I could do better XD_

_I'll notify you in the public form of my choosing if I do anything… notifiable…_

_Happy Reading!_


	23. The Power of a Name

After they had reached a safe distance from the camp, Kakashi and Saimon entered once again into the woods. Kakashi turned to Saimon. "Before we begin today, I need to clear something up." Saimon nodded, and Kakashi continued. "When you change the form of your swords, you call them Sun and Moon. Are those their names?"

Saimon gave him a quizzical look. "Names?"

The teacher sighed. "So, my worst fears are confirmed; you're fighting with nameless weapons."

Saimon looked at his swords, a little confused. "I don't think I follow."

Kakashi folded his arms. "Meari-chan wasn't too far off when she described you as 'lacking in imagination.'"

"HEY!"

"Saimon-kun, do you have any idea how much power lies in a name?" Saimon thought for a moment. "If you need an example, just look at Sukotto-kun."

Saimon recalled back to when Sukotto had been showing him the Cards. _Mastering the cards just requires a little imagination and the right name. If I name the card right, its powers can increase._ "When Sukotto-kun gives his Cards new names, they gain new powers…"

"And Meari-chan. The jutsu names she calls out aren't for show. Giving a technique or weapon a name can mean the difference between life and death in a battle! I realise you're certainly capable, but you'll never reach your full potential if you don't work together with your swords!"

"But how can I do that? They're not living things!"

Kakashi frowned. "Then how do you suppose they change their shape when you ask them to?" Saimon had no answer. "It's true that the swords themselves are not alive, but they have a soul! If you could only listen to that soul, you and your swords could strengthen each other far beyond your current limits!"

Saimon thought for a moment. _A name… _"Are they really so important?"

"Hm?"

"Names… why are they so important like you say?"

"Could you imagine life without one? You'd have no sense of identity, no clue as to who you are. No one would be able to get close to you… you'd be essentially alone in a crowd…"

Saimon shivered slightly. "That… that'd be hell…"

"That's what you've been putting your swords through since you first started using them. While Sun and Moon can be used, they won't give your swords the identity they need to work with you."

Saimon hung his head… _What would that feel like? I can't even imagine… _He looked at the hilts of his blades. _Well, it won't happen anymore!_

Saimon slowly drew his swords. "What do I need to do?" Kakashi raised his eyebrows. "How do I name them? I don't want them to be alone anymore."  
Kakashi smiled. "That's the first step. All it takes is to listen to them. They probably already have a name."

Saimon nodded and closed his eyes. _I'm sorry… If you could give me a second chance, I promise to work with you… I just ask you to give me one more shot…_

He waited, listening. Only a small breeze and his own breathing could be heard…

_Very well._

Saimon's eyes jerked open. "What? Who said that?"

Kakashi blinked. "I didn't say anything."

Saimon looked down. "It couldn't be…" His swords looked the same, yet somehow he sensed something new about them; it was as though they were tugging at him, pulling at his consciousness.

Kakashi sighed. "Well, if you're hearing them, you're on the right path. We can begin when you're ready."

Saimon nodded, then jerked again as, suddenly, he felt his mana flow through his arms down into the swords. The feeling of the hilt in his hand disappeared, and the familiar weight on his arms lessened until they were feather light. He tested out his swing, and found that the sword moved effortlessly. It had almost become an extension of his arm.

_Let's begin._ The voice called out to him again, and Saimon could feel a longing to begin the battle. Excitement radiated from his swords, and Saimon, too, began to feel full of energy.

_Okay._ "I'm ready, Sensei."

"Good. Let's start."

_Mission Time #5: Sensei and Student Rematch!_

It's time for the second training match with Kakashi! Saimon has a new-found strength in his swords; but will it be enough to match up against the all-powerful Lightning Blade? There's only one way to find out!  
_Rewards: _ Being able to _walk_ back to camp!

…_BEGIN!_

"LIGHTNING BLADE!" Kakashi shot the first beam towards Saimon. Not being able to erect a shield in time, the swordsman shot off to the right. As the beam passed him, it predictably discharged and spread out. Saimon was about to get hit when, of its own accord, his Sabre brought itself up as quickly as the beam itself. The assault caught the blade, and Saimon landed without a scratch. _So this is what he meant be working together._

_This lightning grows weaker as it spreads itself out. _The voice came again. _My back shall guard us._

_Your back… the blue sword._

_Correct… I shall teach you its name. Listen, young one…_

_Okay…_

A spell circle formed around Saimon and golden light surrounded him. Voices whispered in the wind and a blue aura poured from the sword… _My name is…_

The spell circle vanished, and as Saimon looked at the sword he saw the blinding flash in front of him. _Here comes another one!_

_Call up my barrier!_

Saimon did so. He pulled the blue sword in front and cried, his voice echoing with power, "_Hebishippo! Barrier! I reject!_" The sword pulsed, and then exploded into a large field of aura. Saimon could feel it flow around the air, awaiting his mental command. Sensing the Blade approaching, he concentrated his barrier into a dense wall in front of him. The Blade hit this wall and was deflected into the night sky, where it fizzled out.

"Saimon-kun! What…"

Saimon laughed and thrust his fist into the air. "Hebishippo! 'Serpent's tail' in an ancient language from my world!" The aura collected back into his hand and reformed the sword. _That was amazing!_

_I am happy… but the battle is not over, and we still have work to do._

_I know. Let's do it. _Saimon got into his ready stance, his entire body primed.

"That's a very strong shield you have, Saimon-kun."

"You think so?"

"If only you could move while using it." Saimon turned as he saw a beam release from behind. _When did he- YIKES!_ He jumped into the air, Hebishippo coming up to guard. The beam ricocheted off a tree and slammed into the sabre. The impact knocked Saimon into a trunk, where he fell to the ground, disoriented.

"Ugh…" He rubbed his head and pulled back his hand. His hand was smeared with blood. _Damn it… I'm all dizzy…_

_I'm here, young one._ Saimon felt a foreign aura flow from the swords into his body, and his vision cleared. _I can guide you while we recover._

_Thank you…_

_Now, let us attack. _Saimon felt his body respond to the thought.

_Wait, what?_

_Don't worry,_ a calm vibe echoed in his mind, _this man is not an enemy. We will only attack as a defence. He won't die._

_Okay, I trust you. _Saimon allowed his swords to guide him as he began to run towards Kakashi.

"Alright, we're advancing into close combat." Kakashi charged another beam, holding this one for longer than most. "We'll try a different approach. LIGHTNING BLADE!" The blade extended as normal, but instead of shooting off, it stretched to a certain length and stopped, remaining in contact with Kakashi's hands. "This is the form I usually use. It's based on the properties of static electricity, letting me wield it like a true blade."

"'Doesn't make any difference to me! I'll take care of it, no matter what!"

Kakashi sighed, then brought his hands back in a giant arc. Like a real sword, the blade wound back, retaining its straight shape. As Saimon approached, Kakashi brought the blade down with a swing of his hands. The blade struck the ground with an explosive force, and even though it missed Saimon, the shockwave was strong enough to send the charging warrior flying off his feet.

He hit the ground hard, then winced as a cut opened up on his right hand. _Damn it… I don't know if I can hold the sword…_

_Then the sword shall hold itself. Are you ready to hear my second name?_

_Been ready. Fire away._

The spell circle appeared again, the same voices floating around on the air around him. Saimon was lifted back onto his feet, and he could feel his mana collecting at his right hand. The red sword's mana met with his, and the two solidified to each other like glue. Saimon marvelled at the enchantment. _Even if I let go, it doesn't fall away… Just how powerful are you?_

_That remains to be seen. Use the Dragon's Fang. Go!_

"Okay!" Saimon jumped into the branches of a tree and ran back towards his sensei. Kakashi had been waiting. Swinging his arms down yet again, he cried, "LIGHTNING BLADE!" The blade struck the tree with an explosion, but Saimon was already safely in the branches of another. He continued on, leaping off the farthermost branch and flying above Kakashi. The sensei began another charge. "Don't let yourself become vulnerable in the air!"

"Who's vulnerable?" Saimon wound back his right arm. "_Ryuukiba! Fly!_" The red sword flashed, changing into a long thin spear. Saimon shot it towards Kakashi. Having no choice, the shinobi had to stop charging in order to leap out of the way. Saimon landed just behind Kakashi and, grabbing the spear, turned to swing at the ninja. Once again, Kakashi couldn't charge a beam and was forced to back flip out of the way.

"Gotcha!" Saimon jumped up from the ground. "_Ryuukiba! Shield! Hebishippo! Barrier! I reject!_" A large shield and a field of aura appeared in front of Saimon. He grabbed the shield and concentrated the blue aura onto it. The shield began to glow and grow hot, sending sparks flying into the air. Placing the now shining shield in front of himself, Saimon used his momentum to launch himself into a steep dive, crying out, "_Meteor Dive_!"

At the same time, Kakashi landed from his aerial dodge. Looking up, he saw the boy rocket towards him, resembling a large falling star. Having not recovered his balance, Kakashi could only stand and wait for the meteor to crash into him.

BOOM!

The shield hit and the aura expanded, causing a giant explosion. Kakashi got hit and flew into a tree, where he landed and slumped against it.

Saimon got back to his feet and regained his footing. _Whoa, that was one hell of an attack. _ He held out his hands and the swords obediently returned to their normal form. _Thank you so much for your help._

_Call me when needed. We did well… May I ask your name?_

_Guran Saimon._ For the third time that night, a spell circle formed beneath the swordsman. He heard his name blow around in the wind, and felt the swords receive his mana. Only one new element happened; the tattoo on his left arm began to glow with a red-golden light before the spell circle faded._ Nice to finally meet you, Hebishippo, Ryuukiba. _

_The pact is formed. I have given you my name, and you yours. We hold each other in a strong power. Do not forget what this means._

_I won't._

_Good. Until we speak again._ Saimon felt the consciousness drain back into the swords. The mana connecting him and the swords, however faint, remained. _Good… I've gotten so used to their presence in such a short time, I'd feel all lonely if they left._ He sheathed the swords and ran over to his sensei.

POOF!

Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke and was replaced by an old log. Saimon jumped back with a yelp, and tripped into the real Kakashi behind him, who had gotten out his questionable book. "That was some attack you pulled. If I hadn't Substituted, I might be in seriously bad shape right now."

"YOU MEAN I MISSED?!"

"Yes."

Saimon stomped angrily. "DAMN!"

Kakashi laughed. "Well, that's closer than many people your age have gotten. You did well. Be proud!" Kakashi turned and began to walk back to the camp, then stopped. "Tomorrow," he said, not turning around, "I'll teach you the Lightning Blade technique. So rest up; it won't be easy." With that, he turned and disappeared into the forest.

Saimon stood gaping in the forest. _Did you hear THAT? We did it! _Saimon jumped in the air and gave a large "Whoop!" of victory.

And somehow, he doubted he was alone in that sentiment…

_Mission Complete!_


	24. The Woe of Sukotto

Sakura accepted the hand she was offered. "That time was a lot stronger than the last one. I think you have it!"

"Thanks!" Meari pulled Sakura up from the forest floor and smiled. "For a second there, I thought the practice wasn't working!"

"Well, it is! You should be proud!"

"Yeah…" Meari looked around and brought her voice down to a whisper. "You… haven't said anything to the guys, have you?"

"No way! I wouldn't do something like that!"

"Good. I just… I don't want them to worry about me." Meari smiled. "I know 'Kotto-kun would… and Sai-kun would get all worked up… We'll just keep it our secret for now, 'kay?"

"Sure!" Sakura winked and the two laughed. They turned to the dropping sun and began the walk back to camp. "Let's get dinner started. I'm hungry, and the boys will be too when they get back."

Meari nodded. The girls walked in silence for a while, giving Meari a little time to lose herself in her thoughts._ I really don't want to keep secrets from them… but this is for the better… Maybe one day, I'll be able to-_ She stopped as she saw the flicker of a fire in the direction of the camp. "Huh?"

"What is it?" Sakura followed Meari's gaze and gave a sound of surprise. "They couldn't be back already… could they?" She looked up at the sun. "It's way to early…"

"Let's go see." The two ran through the remainder forest and arrived at the dirt road. The camp had been laid a short distance away, in a clearing. The girls arrived and were greeted with the light of a fire and the smell of dinner. Two figures sat by the blaze, munching on white rice.

"Oh, hey." Saimon turned to greet the girls. "Rice is ready."

"You two are back already?" Meari sat and took the bowl Saimon had offered. "And…" she added, looking over Saimon, "you're alright…"

"Yup!" Saimon stretched his arms, showing nothing more than scratches and a band-aid. "I finished my training early, so Kakashi-sensei let me off."

Sakura inched surreptitiously to Sasuke's side. "Sasuke-kun, you too?" Sasuke nodded. "I'm glad you're back so early!"

Sasuke made no notice of having heard. He ate his rice in silence, giving the fire in front of him a determined glare. Sakura heard only the smallest grumble escape his lips. "I can't wait 'til that bastard gets here… the things I am going to do to him…"

"What's wrong with you?" Meari leaned in and waved in a hand in front of the boy's gaze. Again, no response.

"Ah, he's a little preoccupied at the moment." The group turned to see Sukotto emerge from the woods, Naruto walking stiffly behind him.

"'Kotto-kun! You're done early, too! We all got lucky today!"

"Except him." Saimon stared at Naruto, who was still giving off the stench of burning hair. "What happened to you?"

"That jerk," Naruto said, pointing a finger at Sasuke, "and his partner" jerking his thumb back to Sukotto, "sent the freakin' Sun to come down and kill me!"

"Hey! Is that the thanks I get for dragging you halfway back here?"

"I didn't ask you to!"

"The maybe next time I won't!"

"Maybe you two should sit down." The boys did so and filled their bowls.

Sukotto began his rice, and then stopped as he regarded Saimon-kun. _Something's… different about him. There's a certain mana around him… like another presence…_

"Something wrong?" Saimon was looking at Sukotto with a quizzical expression.

Sukotto jerked out of his thoughts and shook his head. "Ah, nothing. I'm just amazed that you did so well today. No blood in sight."

"I owe that to these guys." Saimon tapped the hilts of his swords. "I couldn't have done it without them." He refilled his bowl and looked up to meet four staring faces "What?"

Sukotto raised an eyebrow. _He's never said anything like _that_ before… I'll ask him about that later…_

Saimon looked to the girls. "So how'd you guys do?"

The group continued on with their meal, joking and talking. Everyone was in high spirits (save maybe for Naruto). Even Sasuke was sharing in the good atmosphere. He continued to stare into the fire and eat, but a smile had crept its way onto his face (albeit a creepy one). At one point, Meari snatched one of the Sukotto Cards and began to run around the fire with it, teasing its master. Sukotto chased after her, and the whole group dropped into hysterics.

"I wish this didn't have to end." Sakura laughed as Sukotto finally caught Meari and wrestled the Card from her grasp. "It's hard to believe we'll be reaching Hayashigakure in two days."

"Yeah…" Meari sat down and looked at her tea, frowning.

Sukotto looked at Meari. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just… a little scared… The way Kakashi-sensei made it out, it sounds harsh…"

Sukotto nudged her shoulder with his own. "Hey, don't be worried. You've been training really hard this whole time!"

"Yeah…" Meari didn't sound very convinced. "It's just… there's gonna be people there as good as Sasuke. Maybe some even better… I don't know if I can compete with that…"

Sukotto laughed. "You're perfectly capable of doing whatever anybody else can. You'll be the best out there. I guarantee it."

"And we'll be on the sidelines cheering for you!" Saimon added. "So don't screw up!"

Meari laughed and gave Saimon a playful punch. "Thanks, guys. I'm glad you came."

Sukotto stood up. "Me too." He yawned and stretched his arms. "I think I'll hit the-OWW!" He winced as his hand flew to the injury on his arm. The wound re-opened and began to bleed again. "Heh. It's not as bad as the first time."

"Ah! 'Kotto-kun! Your arm!" Meari gasped.

"It's okay; it's just a little cut-"

"No, it's not! It could get infected! Sit down and I'll bandage it for you!"

"No, really, Meari-chan, it's fine, I just-"

"SUKOTTO-KUN, SIT DOWN NOW!"

BAM!

Sukotto had suddenly plunged onto the ground with a surprising amount of force. He landed on his rear and shook his head. "Wha…what just happened?" The group stared at him. "Uh… I can't get up." Sukotto tried to push himself off the ground, but it was useless; he was glued to the spot.

Saimon was the first to break the awkward silence with a snort. "Why'd you do that?"

"Do what? I just heard Meari-chan yell and then I found myself on the ground. Now could someone help me up?"

Saimon stood up, but Meari stopped him with a motion of her hand. "Hold on a sec." She stood in front of Sukotto and yelled at the top of her lungs. "SUKOTTO-KUN! UP!"

As quick as a flash of lightning, Sukotto flipped onto his feet, landing without a sound. He stood unmoving for a moment, and then looked around, confused. "Wait… how'd I get back up here? I'm starting to get dizzy…"

Meari shrieked with laughter. She fell to the ground and clutched her sides, rolling on the ground uncontrollably. Saimon gave her a puzzled look. "What's so funny?"

Sakura eyed Sukotto suspiciously. "I think I know..." _I wanna try, too! CHA! _She too stood up and yelled, "SUKOTTO-KUN! DO A BACKFLIP!" Sukotto jumped into the air, flipped and landed on his feet again. Sakura joined Meari on the ground, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh…" Saimon, Naruto and Sasuke all clued in at the same time.

"ME NEXT! LET ME TRY!" Naruto yelled. "SUKOTTO-KUN! STAND ON YOUR HEAD!"

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"Wha?" Naruto stared at him with a puzzled expression. "How come he won't do it?"

Sasuke grinned. "Maybe he's broken."

Saimon thought for a moment, and then stood up. "SUKOTTO-KUN! DO THE HAND-JIVE!"

"Why is everyone doing this?!"

Saimon nodded. "Yup. It only works with the girls."

"What? Who… Saimon-kun, help me out here."

Saimon walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Every time a girl yells an order at you, you do it."

"Uh… really?"

"You don't remember?"

"If I could, I doubt I'd forget…"

"Well, this is kinda interesting…"

Sukotto made a weak sobbing sound. "But…why me?"

Meari managed to stand after her laughing fit. "Maybe because you're so subservient."

"I'm not subservient! I'm just generous!"

"COME HERE!"

Sukotto leaped into the air and landed at Meari's feet with a thud. "Ow…"

"Told you. Now, gimme your arm or I'll make you, _Inu-Yasha-kun_!"

Sukotto sighed, and then raised his arm. Meari began to bandage it up as the rest of the group made their way to their tents, still chuckling.

--

"WOULD YOU STOP THAT?!" Sukotto lay face-down on the dirt road, covered in dust.

"It's just so funny! I can't help it!" Meari was clutching her stomach and hooting with laughter.

"It stopped being funny when it started!" Sukotto picked himself off the ground and dusted himself off for the third time that day. For the last day and a half, Meari had caught Sukotto off guard at every possible moment and given him an order, which he unwillingly obeyed. Her personal favourite obliged Sukotto to fly through the air, landing at her feet and sliding a considerable distance in the process.

"Meari-chan, you should stop doing that to poor Sukotto-kun!" Sakura scolded. _THIS IS TOO FUNNY! DO IT AGAIN! AGAIN!_

"You're going to want to stop that soon." Kakashi called to the gang behind him. "We wouldn't want to attract attention to ourselves."

"Whadd'ya mean?" Naruto spoke for the group. "Attract attention from who?"

"Them." Kakashi pointed down the path. The group gasped.

Ahead, at least sixty shinobi stood in front of a large gate that resembled the one they had passed through at the beginning of their trip. The Hayashi symbol, resembling a tree, was visible on the uniforms of the guards, and the party could see that the gate bore the same mark.

"We've arrived at Hayashigakure."

The group ran ahead of their teacher to get a better view.

"That's… That's a lot of people." Sakura was breathless.

"Oh YEAH! This is going to be AWESOME! BELIEVE IT!"

"Suddenly," Meari said, looking at the long line of formidable shinobi, "I'm feeling a lot less confident."

"I don't blame you," Sukotto stepped up beside her, "but don't let it get to you."

"GEEZ! I didn't think there'd be so many! This looks like it's gonna be a hard one!"

"Thanks, Sai-kun…"

"Way to be, Saimon-kun."

"What'd I do?"

"If I may interrupt…" Kakashi stuck his head in between the three, "We need to get in line." He pointed ahead; the other half had already gone ahead to grab a spot in line.

"We'll be right there." Kakashi nodded, and then walked over to the others (picking up his pace as Naruto began his trademark loud-mouthing at different group of ninja).

"Well, we'd better go to." Sukotto turned to Meari. "You all set?"

"…Yeah. I'm ready."

"We're right here…"

"I know…"

"-I mean, look at all those buff ninja over there… that guy has so many scars… and that girl over there, what's with all-"

"SAIMON-KUN!"

"Oh, sorry."

The group laughed, and then turned to the gates. As they began to make their way towards the gate, Meari squeezed Sukotto's hand as they received looks from the all the ninja. Sukotto squeezed back, and as the gate towered higher and higher above their heads, the three began to feel just a little more confident…

_Welcome back to Owari; Interview with the Characters! Please give a large round of applause for the ever-so-bumbling reptilian team; Red and Blue!_

Red: Look, Sukotto-kun! You have a real audience!

Kotto: Yeah, I guess Saimon-kun just wasn't popular enough…

From far away: HEY!

Red: So, are we here for an interview?

Blue: That sounds yummy…

Red: No, Blue, you can't eat it! Sukotto-kun's going to ask us questions and we have to answer them.

Blue: WHAT?! A TEST?! OH, MAN! RED! WHAT AM I GONNA DO?!

R: Relax, Blue! This is an easy test!  
B: BUT I SUCK AT EASY ONES! REMEMBER THAT TIME I FAILED A BLOOD TEST?!

R: Just think of it this way; it's a test all about you and me.

B: Oh, GOOD! I know everything about me! I know more about me than anyone else! I'm a genius on me!

R: Well, as long as you have _that_ going for you…

K: Okay, guys, can we start now?

B: Fire away!

K: Question 1: Have either of you ever wished you were a different colour?

B: No, but there was this one time…

R: We were in this HUUUUUGE mansion, and we were trying to find the pantry-

K: Wait, you were stealing?

B: I was DYING from hunger! We hadn't eaten in three days! I was DESPERATE, okay?!

R:… Anyhow, I fell into a laundry machine and couldn't get out…

B: The bleach turned him pink for a week, and he still hasn't recovered from the mental damage…

K: Mental damage?

B: Watch. (Turns to Red) Rinse Cycle.

R: AHHHHHHHH! (Curls up into the corner and sucks thumb) The cleaning, the _cleaning_! It _burns_!

K: O-Okay… Question 2: Do you like broccoli?

B: Oooh, broccoli…

R: Blue, you're drooling all over the place…

B: OH! Sorry! I'm just hungry…

K: (Stares)

B: Never do an interview on an empty stomach.

K: Question 3: Do you ever get tired of each other?

R: All the time. That's why we fight! Makes life more interesting.

B: You only say that because you win all the time!

R: Heehee…

K: Maybe you guys should seek some help… Question 4: Who's cooler? Saimon-kun or Yours Truly?

B: I haven't met this Yours Truly-kun… although I'm sure he's a nice guy… er, girl… it…

R: Blue, he means himself…

B: Haven't met Himself-kun either…

R: Blue, do you like Saimon-kun or Sukotto-kun better?

B: Isn't Sukotto-kun supposed to be asking these?

R+K: JUST ANSWER (please)!

B: I'd say Sukotto-kun! His Cards RULE!

K: How about you, Red?

R: You're both weirdoes.

From far away: YOU JERK! You're supposed to be supporting ME!

K: Looks like a 1-0 victory for Sukotto-kun (High Five to Blue)

B: YAY!

K: (whispering) Y'hear that, you bastard? So what if you have a fan, I have one too! HA!

R: Sukotto-kun's scaring me…

K: Question 5: Boxers or Briefs?

B: (Checks) Nope.

K: …

R: (Slaps forehead and shakes head) Just… next question…

K: Question 6: Samasa-chan (who we first met in Chapter Two) has often been regarded as the Junk Food Tyrant. If you could mooch one item of choice from her Lunchbox of Glory, what would it be?

B: DOUGHNUTS! I LOVE DOUGHNUTS!

R: Yeah, it'd be the doughnut. It's so chewy and warm…

B: …with the shiny sparkles and the icing…

R: …artificial flavour…

B+R: (DROOOL)

K: Let's move on… Question 7: What's the best quality your brother has?

R: (Looks at Blue) Definitely not his brain cell.

B: That's just mean…

R: I'd say that he's very in touch with his emotions…

B: Really?! You think so?! Thank you!

K: What's Red's best quality, Blue?

B: He's really good at bossing people around!

R: Stop it, you're too kind!

K: Question 8: What's your most embarrassing experience?

R: Ohhhhhhh…

B: It was a while back… a month I think…

R: We got to a village and it was night time…

B: And we were really tired, so we tried to check into an inn…

R: But they shooed us out, so we ended up sleeping by the fountain in the town square…

B: And when we woke up… when we woke… we… we…

R: WE WERE HOLDING EACH OTHER! AND SUCKING OUR THUMBS!

B: EACH OTHER'S THUMBS! EVERYONE WAS STARING!

R: IT WAS AWFUL! I WANTED TO DIE!

B: ME TOO!

K: So, what happened after that?

R: We had no choice… none were allowed to survive…

B: That village was wiped off the map…

K: W-W-W-Whaatt??!?!

B: Just kidding!

R: You're so gullible, Sukotto-kun!

K: (Starts breathing again) You… that's not nice!

B: Heehee!

K: Ugh…Question 9: Don't you get tired of Sukotto-kun bossing you around, using you for his own ends to advance the popularity of his fanfic?

B+R: (Stare)

K: Uh, wait a second…

R: WHAT?!(explodes)

B: I don't get it… whazzat mean?

K: I really need to find out how these questions keep getting in here…

_In the audience, a blonde holding a blue lunch-bag and a red head high-five while a brunette with green eyes kills herself laughing…_

K: That's all we have for now… (Looks over to the Dragons.)

R: I'm dead… (Falls limp in Blue's arms)

B: NOOOO! DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE IN THIS CRUEL WORLD!

K: These reviews have to stop ending with people combusting…

B: WAHHHHHH!

K: Blue, he's not dead.

B: YES HE IS! LOOK AT HIM!

K: Blue. I can see him breathing. He just fell asleep.

B: Oh… Can I go get food?

K: Yeah, you're done here…

B: Thanks! (Drops Red and runs offstage)

K: Thank you for all your questions! Next up we have my dear friend Chibi-ko-

From far away: That's Meari, Baka-suke!

K: -so get your questions in! I'm sure you have some…interesting questions for her… (Sukotto walks offstage chuckling evilly)

R: Don't just leave me here like this!


	25. A Slight Complication

_Note: This chapter features a lot of introductions and very little action. Please bear with me for this one, I promise the next chapter will be SO much better! Believe it! (I really have been in this world for too long XD). If you haven't read Naruto, I apologize even more so; these next few chapters are going to be rough…_

…_and if you HAVE read Naruto, and are a fervent fan, I throw myself at your feet and beg for your reconciliation! XD_

_We now return to our regularly scheduled Chapter 25 (already in progress…)_

The group stayed back while Kakashi went ahead to get a spot in line. They relaxed under the shade of a tree, when suddenly-

"SASUKE-KUN!" A girl with a long blonde pony-tail and a purple blouse came from nowhere and glomped Sasuke on the back. "I didn't think I'd get to see you before the exam started! You have no idea," she said whispering into his ear, "how much I've missed you this last week…"

"Get off him, Ino-pig!" Sakura yelled, pointing her finger at the girl.

"Oh, hello Sakura-chan. Still trying to make the Big Forehead look happen?" Ino teased. "That's so cute!"

"Oh great," Naruto grumbled, folding his arms. "Another Sasuke groupie."

"Oh, don't tell me you guys are taking the exam, too?" A boy with short black hair and a very sour sneer came from the same direction as Ino. He was followed by a rather chubby boy, who was attacking a bag of chips. "This is going to be a huge pain…"

_This conversation seems so familiar… _Sukotto pondered, the déja vu sinking in. _Oh, wait. This is almost exactly what happened in the Naruto manga…I wonder if the exam is going to be the same way?_

"Aw, come on, Shika-kun! Lighten up for once!" Meari punched Shikamaru's shoulder and laughed. She turned to Sukotto and Saimon. "This is the Asuma cell, #10, Ino-chan, Shikamaru-kun and Choji-kun!"

"Nice to meet you!" Sukotto offered a hand to Shikamaru, who snorted.

"That goody-goody stuff will get you killed in this exam. Are you serious about entering?"

"Oh, I'm not entering, I'm-"

"-a cheerleader?"

Saimon walked up to Shikamaru and smirked. "What's with that sneer? Is it supposed to frighten off all the scary ninja? Keep it on there long enough and it might stay that way." Shikamaru grunted, then walked away with a roll of his eyes, Choji following in his stead.

"Hmm?" Ino looked over Sasuke's shoulder at Saimon. "Who are you?"

Saimon turned. "Guran Saimon. You're Ino-san, right?"

"Yeah…" A slight pinkish glow began to crawl over Ino's face. "Hey… uh…you-"

"Ino-chan!! We're next up!" Choji called to the girl from the registration line. "Come on, I don't wanna wait around here anymore!" Shikamaru had already returned to Asuma-sensei, their Cell leader, and was waiting with some impatience.

"On my way! Just hold on a minute!" Ino released Sasuke and began to walk back to her group. She stopped and called over her shoulder. "If you want… you can call me… Ino-chan…" With that, she hurried over to Shikamaru and Choji without a backward glance.

There was a small silence before Sukotto turned to Saimon.

"Good job, Saimon-kun!" Sukotto gave Saimon a thumb up. "She definitely has a thing for you!"

"You think so?" Saimon was clearly distracted from the conversation.

Meari snorted. "Can you spell 'oblivious?'"

"No kidding!" Naruto laughed. "This guy is completely clueless!"

"Oh… H-Hi, Naruto-kun…" A blue-haired girl with white eyes and a shy smile had made her way over. "You… you came… I'm… uh… I'm really happy you're here…"

"Oh, hey, Hinata-chan!" Naruto turned back to Saimon. "Really! I mean, how can you not notice that kinda stuff?!"

"Naruto-kun, you are SUCH a loser!" A boy appeared behind Hinata. A white dog with brown ears was perched upon the ninja's long, shaggy black hair, and red war paint decorated his face. The brunet beside him said nothing. His mouth was hidden behind his jacket collar, and his dark sunglasses completely concealed his eyes.

"You wanna say that to my face, Kiba?!" Naruto shook his fist towards the shinobi.

"Sure! LOSER!" Kiba laughed, and Hinata began to nervously twiddle her fingers together.

"You're sounding pretty confident, Kiba-kun." Sasuke spoke up, a menacing grin on his face.

"I am! We've been training like mad, and we sure as hell won't lose to you!"

"Oh yeah?! Why don't we go into the forest over there and-"

"I'm Sukotto!" Sukotto interrupted the argument with an over-enthusiastic laugh and a handshake to Kiba. "This is Saimon-kun, here! It's nice to meet you!" Sukotto looked up to the small puppy. "This is Akamaru-kun, right? Good boy!" Sukotto reached out to pet the dog.

RUFF! GRRRRR! CHOMP!!

"It's okay! It doesn't hurt that much! Just let go, okay? Please?!" Akamaru released Sukotto's hand and made a sound resembling laughter. The group chuckled, then the three followed the previous group to go register.

"Meari-chan, that third guy was…Shino-kun, right?" Saimon asked, recalling back to his Naruto graphic novels. "I can't remember too much… What do you have on him?"

"Shino-kun? Not much." Meari shrugged. "But they say he's a pretty good fighter." She gave him a quizzical look. "Why?"

"He… he felt different… than the others… Like he wasn't… alone… My swords agree with me…" He sighed at the weird looks the other two gave him. "I'm just saying he's someone you should watch out for, Meari-chan."

The group nodded, and then got out of their mini-huddle to rejoin with the rest.

"Amazing…" Sakura regarded as the last two teams finished their registration. "All three rookie teams from Konohagakure are here…"

"Oh, right. This is your first time taking the test, isn't it?"

"Yeah. We just passed the Academy exam this year… It's unheard of that so many teams should go to the exams without at least a couple years of experience…"

"Well, then," Sukotto clapped his hands together, "all the more reason to do your best! Let's go get you guys registered. Kakashi-sensei's almost at the counter."

The gang walked over to one of the many small booths that had been set up outside the city gates. They were in time to see Kiba's team enter the gates, accompanied by their Jônin leader, Kurenai-sensei. The attendant at the counter waved for the next group in line, and Kakashi went forward, beckoning the group behind him.

"Kakashi Hatake, Cell 7 from Konohagakure." The attendant checked a long list.

"Another rookie team… hmm?" The attendant looked up at the group and raised an eyebrow. "It seems you misunderstood the test rules, Kakashi-san."

"Ah, not quite." Kakashi leaned in to whisper to the attendant. The group strained their ears, but couldn't hear a word. Kakashi stepped back and the attendant nodded. "The Hokage has already given me consent. I have the necessary documents." Kakashi produced some passport-shaped booklets to the counter.

"Very well. Uzumkai Naruto, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke, please?" The named three stepped forward. "Take these identification papers to the city hall down the main street." The group hesitantly took their passports and followed the direction the attendant was pointing, Sakura turning to look back before going in after the boys.

"Uh, Sensei… what's going on?" Meari asked nervously as the other half of the group passed the security guards into Hayashigakure.

"You did read the entrance requirements for the exam, did you not?" Meari nodded. "Then, you'll know that only teams of three are permitted to take part in the exam?"

"I do, but you said you'd take care of that!"

"And I did. You have your team of three right here."

"I don't…" Meari gasped, turning to Saimon and Sukotto.

"What is- ohhh…"

"Wait… wait… are you telling me-"

"Cell 13, Bobaku Meari, Suchuwa Sukotto and Guran Saimon, please?"

---

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Saimon broke the tension as the attendant held out picture ID to the three. "YOU WANT US TO GO IN THE EXAM, TOO?!"

"Saimon-kun, you're attracting a lot of attention…"

"I DON'T CARE! YOU JUST THOUGHT YOU'D GO AHEAD AND NOT TELL US ANYTHING UNTIL WE GOT HERE?!"

"Would it have changed anything?" Saimon made a move to retort, but stopped. "The fact remains that Meari-chan can't take the exam unless she's in a group of three genin. If I had told you this, would you have turned down her chance to become a chûnin?" Saimon and Sukotto remained silent. "And I wouldn't have entered you if I hadn't believed you to be adequate."

"You were planning this since Meari-chan told you about us, weren't you?" Sukotto realised. "Becoming a genin wasn't necessary to go on this trip with her after all… and that training… you were preparing us. At the same time, you were keeping us in the dark so that we'd still be able to keep Meari-chan confident."

"That was the idea…"

Sukotto frowned, folding his arms. "And if we hadn't come when we did?"

Kakashi sighed. "Meari-chan would've had to wait for an opening in a pre-existing squad. That being said, there's a good chance she would've had to wait until next year, possibly later."

"So you thought you'd bet her potential future on such a slight chance just so you could-"  
"'KOTTO-KUN! SHUT UP!" Sukotto's mouth instantly snapped shut. "That stuff doesn't matter! You managed to come in time, didn't you? You decided to travel here with us, and now we've made it! The both of you aren't gonna quit on me, right?" The boys looked at each other, and nodded. "Right. So let's not think about what could've happened and just be glad that everything worked out for the best, 'kay?" The boys paused, then nodded again.

Meari went forward and took her ID passport. Saimon followed her example, and Sukotto sighed and took his as well. Kakashi smiled. "I wish you luck. Stick together, you three." The group turned and walked through the large wooden gate, entering Hayashigakure, the city hall dead ahead.

_Well, we survived the first of many gruelling exam chapters! If you're still reading, thank you for sticking it to the end! Take some Omake as your reward! (More groans) Oh, quiet!_

_OMAKE!_

_Welcome to the third edition of Owari: Interview with the Characters! Today, we have own element-girl5, the fire shinobi of Konohagakure, Chibi-ko!_

Meari: My name is Bobaku Meari, Baka-suke!

Kotto: Oh, of course. I wonder how that got on my sheet. (snigger)

M: (Glare) You're asking for it, ya know?

K: Yeah, but I'll take my chances. (Ahem), so, are you ready for the review? We have a pretty good turnout. I guess Saimon-kun really was just unpopular.

From far away: SAY IT ONE MORE TIME, YOU BASTARD!

M: (Laughs). Yep, I'm good. Shoot.

K: Okay, then! Question 1: Do you have an anime role model?

M: Yeah, a couple. Shippo (Inuyasha) , Hinata Hyuga (Naruto), Haruhi (Ouran High School Host Club), Sakura the Cardcaptor and Mokona!

K: Mokona's your role model?

M: So?

K: That explains a fair amount.

M: (Punches Sukotto).

K: OW! I WAS JOKING! Question 2: Do you have any pets?

M: Lots! ...Do dead pets count?

K: …No… (What the…?)

M: Then I have a German Shepard, a cockatiel, and a monkey!

K: A MONKEY?! REALLY?!

M: No, that's just my sister.

K: (Clearly disappointed) Oh… darn… Question 3: What is your favourite ninjutsu technique?

M: Anything with fire! My parents always told me not to play with it, but I do anyway! WEEE!

K: (Pulls fire extinguisher closer to chair) Question 4: Your weapon of choice?

M: Long distance stuff! Bows, arrows, kunai, shuriken, stuff like that!

K: Which would explain your addiction to kunai?

M: Quiet! I like them!

K: And you said Saimon-kun and I were like kids with a new toy… (OW!) Question 5: What's your favourite caffeinated drink?

M: Uh… well… er…

K: Come on, Meari-chan.

M: Okay, I'll spill! I drink Sobe Energy drink mixed with Red Bull sometimes!

K: EGAD!

M: Yeah, it gets you awake pretty fast…Don't drink it if you're already wired, though…

K:… That _cannot_ be healthy… Question 6: If you could Order Sukotto-kun to do one really embarrassing thing before you lose your power over him, what would it be? …Do I _want_ the answer to that one?

M: (Evil glare…)

K: Meari-chan…

M:Makehimtapdanceinhisunderwearwhilesinging'DoYouLoveMe?' ButImnotsayingIwanttoseehisbodyoranythinglikethatIjustthinkitwouldbereallyfunnytomakehimdothat

K:… I am SO glad I didn't understand a word of that…

M: Maybe it's for the best…

K: Question 7: If you could be a vampire or a pirate, which one would you choose and why?

M: I'd say the vampire. As long as I'd be okay in sunlight.

K: You could probably get away with that. Fai-san did.

M: Good, cuz I've been having this pain in my neck for a while and I can't seem to find myself in the mirror. (Smiles to reveal fangs.)

K: (Screams and falls out of chair). OH MY GOD!

M: (Starts laughing and pulls out fake teeth.) You're SO gullible!

K: (breathing heavily) That…was…not…funny…

M: HEEHEE!

K: Question 8: Is it true that you and Saimon-kun danced together?

M: (Blushes) Uh… yeah… BUT IT WAS ONLY FOR P.E! NOTHING HAPPENED!

K: Didn't you tell me he was a good dancer afterward?

M: S-SHUT UP!

K: (Evil snicker) Question 9: Out of all the Ouran High School Host Club "types", which one do you look for in a guy?

M: Hm… I suppose the Natural type, like Haruhi.

K: Not the Prince-type?

M: No, I think Haruhi was the best host in the series (expect for the fact that… well… you know).

K: Hm…

M: What? Does that displease you, _Tamaki-kun_?

K: (Slaps hand over mouth) Don't call me that here!

M: Okay… (_Tama-chan…_)

K: Question 10: Is there anything going on between you and Suko- Wait, WHAT?!

M: (Wide-eyed stare)

K: Who keeps putting these in here?!

_Same trio from last time high-five in audience._

K: (Squints) Don't I know them?

Blonde with Lunch Bag: Emi-chan! The smoke-bomb!

Red-head with Smoke Bomb: Got it, Samasa-chan! (Drops, explosion of smoke) BOOM!

Brunette with Green Eyes: Bye, "Tamaki-kun"! (Three scurry away)

K: Damn it, they are going to get it, BIG TIME! (Turns to Meari-chan, who is giving him a death glare) What?

M: SUKOTTO-KUN! BEAT YOURSELF UP!

K: MEAR- (BANG, BAM, BLEED)

M: While he's busy with that, (turns to audience) I'm secretly going to be running an extra special interview for 'Kotto-kun! So send in your questions, please!

K: OOF! OWW! IIIEEEEEEE!

M SUKOTTO-KUN! STOP!

K: (Collapses to ground) I think I just kicked myself in the head…

M: Heehee! See you next time!


	26. Ninja Poker!

"Alright, your ID passports are valid." An attendant signalled to the two guards behind him to pull open the city hall doors. "Follow the right set of stairs up to the third floor. The exam will be in room 329. Instruction for Part One will begin in 20 minutes. If you're not there by the time the door closes, you'll forfeit your participation in the exam."

Meari thanked him and the three began an awkward ascent up the stairs. Sukotto eyed his friends and frowned. Meari was unnaturally silent and Saimon was breathing a little too quickly for his projected calm to be believable. _This could make things difficult… our confidence just took a major blow… Meari has nothing to say, Saimon's about to crack and… well… the butterflies in my stomach are probably laying eggs at this point. _Sukotto looked out a window onto the street. _At this rate, we'll break down before we can even start…_

"There are so many flights of stairs… The building didn't seem so big from the outside." Meari wondered aloud.

Saimon walked onto the landing. "This is only the second floor? I could've sworn we've gone up five stories…"

Sukotto realised this too. _We've been on this floor before, haven't we? What's-_

"See? The second floor again. We're going around in circles!" A girl's voice rang out from the hallway around the corner.

"What do you think, Neji-kun?" A boy's voice asked.

"Hm… its something like genjutsu, but it's more intricate and powerful."

"Can you do anything?" The girl sounded anxious. "We might be late if this keeps up…"

There was a slight pause. The one called Neji spoke. "The source is outside, some punk from Hiding in Rain, I think. We can't get to him."

"Maybe someone'll come find us…"

"I hope it's Uchiha-san!" The second boy sounded hopeful.

"Lee-kun, calm yourself. You'll get your shot at Uchiha-san soon enough, so stop pestering us about it."

Saimon and Sukotto looked at Meari with a puzzled expression. "You know who that is, Meari-chan?"

"Is someone there?!" The girl's voice again.

The group rounded the corner and saw a cell of shinobi from Konohagakure. The female's voice belonged to a brunette in a Chinese-style blouse, hair tied neatly into a bun. Two other boys stood with her.

"Ah, Bobaku-san." Another brunet, this one resembling Hinata a great deal. His eyes were completely blank, iris and pupil all invisible. His hair was done in much the same fashion, two strands falling down into front while the rest was neatly combed. He sported a grey T-shirt and blue shorts. "Is this your cell?"

"Yup!" Meari introduced Saimon and Sukotto to Lee, Neji and Tenten. "This is the cell under Guy-sensei!"

"You said something about genjutsu earlier… Mind helping us out?" Saimon inquired.

Tenten sighed with a weary expression. "We've been trying to get to Room 329, but no matter how many times we walk around this staircase, we've been stuck on the second floor."

"And the shinobi who's casting this little trap," Neji added, "is outside. We can't get to him from in here."

Lee, wearing a green jumpsuit with orange leg warmers and his headband around his waist, checked the clock hanging on the wall. "We only have 15 minutes until the exam starts! We need a way out of here!"

"Hm…" Saimon began to think.

Sukotto did as well. _We obviously can't get past the walls…There aren't any windows… I doubt anyone could hear us if we yelled… If only this world had cell phones… we could call Kakashi-sensei or someone to give us a hand… _Sukotto's head snapped up. _Wait! I know! We could-_

"I got an idea!" Saimon punched his fist in his hand, triumph clear on his face.

_Damn, he's getting quicker…_

"I have some… friends… who could give us a hand, but it might take a while for them to get here…" The group thought for a moment. "I mean, it's worth a try, right?"

Neji sounded sceptical. "Your friends will have to be pretty fast."

"I trust him." Lee nodded. "Please, Guran-san. Call your friends right away!"

Meari looked at Saimon and Sukotto, clearly confused, as Saimon placed his left hand over the blue ring and paused for a moment.

_Blue! Red! You guys there?_

Saimon felt a tug on his consciousness as the sounds around him began to fade into silence. He then became aware of a very high-pitched squeak coming from his hand.

_Saimon-kun? Hello?_

_Red! You can hear me!_

_Saimon-kun! This is cool… No Blue, you can't talk to him! Stop it; I'm trying to have a conversation here!_

_Red! Sukotto and I need your help!_

_Really?_ _What do you need? _There was a small pause._ Blue write this down! What do you mean you can't write?! Just remember it, then!_

Saimon crossed his fingers before asking the next question _…Can you two travel across the Tears?_

_You mean those weird rips in the dimensional fabric?_

…_Yeah, whatever…_

_Yep! No sweat!_

_Can you get over to Hayashigakure in the Naruto world in less than 20 minutes?_

_Oh, Hayashigakure? Haven't been in there for a while! Lessee here… _A few muffled sounds of movement, followed by a slight conversation between him and his brother and then a pause. _It won't be easy, but we can make it._

_Really?! Thanks! Call me when you get here, and I'll tell you what we need done!_

_No sweat! Oh, Blue, stop being such a baby. It hurts for two seconds, and then it's over! No they won't find out! I promise, we'll have you back to normal before they see us! Okay, let's go. _Saimon felt the connection break and his hearing returned.

Saimon shook his head. _They're weird little guys…_ He turned to the group."They can make it. They'll be here as soon as they can." Five breaths were simultaneously released.

"Alright!" Meari thrust her fist in the air. "We're in the clear!"

"That's a relief." Tenten smiled. "I was getting antsy."

"Me too!" Meari stretched. "We should do something to relax ourselves a little. Any good ideas?" The group said nothing. "Well, then, allow me to recommend a game of Poker!

"Poker?" Saimon gave Meari a _what-are-you-thinking_ look.

"Yeah! C'mon!" She sat on the floor and pulled out a deck of cards. The group chuckled, and then settled themselves down. The cards were dealt.

"We'll do some Texas Hold 'Em. Aces can go both ways."

"Should we go for strip poker?!" Saimon asked, an evil look in his eyes.

The decision was unanimous. "NO!"

"Let's bet snacks!" Tenten pulled out some gummies from her pocket.

"Good idea!" The group rustled in their bags to grab the small amounts of junk they had snuck in for the trip. Sukotto had brought a small bar of dark chocolate, Saimon pulled out a bag of chips, and Meari had made some chocolate squares. Even Neji and Lee had given into the temptation, Neji setting down a box of small jelly buns and Lee pulling out what looked like mini Power Bars.

"Alright! Let's play!"

---

"I HAVE THREE KINGS!" Lee slammed his cards onto the centre of the table and glared at Sukotto. "There's no way you will defeat me!"

Sukotto sighed, and laid down his flush.

"W-W-What? Impossible!" Lee huddled in a ball. "That was my last energy bar!"

Sukotto laughed and took the pot, consisting of his own chocolate, some chips and, of course, Lee's prized energy bar.

Meari sniffed at the one she had won. "Lee-kun… this smells like rotten egg…"

"They've been in there for a while…" Lee said sheepishly.

"Enough talking! Let's re-deal this sucker!" Saimon said, eager to continue. He was fairing very well, second only to Neji, who had managed to force Tenten into bankruptcy in just three hands.

Meari gathered the deck and shuffled. The cards were re-dealt for the fifth time. The remaining players cast in their "chips", the last card was dealt, and the betting began!

_Mission Time! # 6: Final Poker Hand!_

This is your last chance to grab the big pot! Bluff! Raise! Cheat! Take a chance! And don't forget that poker face! Hold it out to the end for all the junk you can eat!

Rewards: CANDY!

…_BEGIN!_

Saimon's Final Hand: Four (D), King (C)

Sukotto's Final Hand: Four (S) (H)

Meari's Final Hand: King (D)(H)

Neji's Final Hand: Ace (D), Nine (D)

Table-top cards: Three (S)(H), Eight (D), Queen (C), Two (S)

Saimon pushed two chips into the centre. "All right, let's do this."

Neji's face remained completely blank. "I raise you three." Three jelly buns were placed in the centre.

Meari's face gave only the slightest hint of a smile. "I raise you four."

Sukotto eyed the gang suspiciously, and taking a sorrowful glance at his remaining candies, sadly put down his cards and went into the corner with Lee and Tenten (the latter two glaring at him evilly as he ate his chocolate).

SUKOTTO FOLDED! Remaining: Three!

Back to Saimon's turn, he assessed the current situation. _Meari has a good hand. Her poker face needs some work…I'll have to be careful of her… _He looked over to Neji. _I can't read that guy at all…He's pretty good, but I think he's bluffing… I'll just have to out-bluff him! He won't intimidate me! No, if I can make him think I have a good, hand, the pot will be MINE! _"I raise to six!"

"I raise to seven" was Neji's automatic response.

"I'll go up to eight!" Meari was still in it too.

_Damn. They're tricky… I really need to rattle their confidence… what to do… what to-_

Saimon reached behind him and grabbed his plastic bag of chips. He scooped up two jelly buns, a square of chocolate, some gummies and a power bar, and unceremoniously dumped them into the centre. Only two syllables escaped his lips.

"All in."

Sukotto, Tenten and Lee whipped their heads around, gasping. "Guran-san! That's a gutsy move!" Saimon said nothing, but only stared at Neji with a look of utmost impatience.

Neji sighed. "All in."

Meari gave a small squeak. "I fold." She hastily joined the trio in the corner and watched with eager eyes.

MEARI FOLDED! Remaining: Two!

Saimon and Neji stared at each other with looks of contempt. The slowly brought their cards up, before slamming them down on the floor.

"HIGH CARD KING!"

"HIGH CARD ACE!"

The world stopped as Saimon slowly fell backwards onto the ground, defeated.

Winner: Neji!

---

"THAT ISN'T FAIR! YOU USED THE BYAKUGAN, DIDN'T YOU!?"

"As if I would use it for a game of poker." (_What a sucker…_)

"OH YES YOU WOULD! I DEMAND YOU GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK!"

"Sai-kun, we used candy, remember?"

"THEN GIVE ME THAT BACK, TOO!"

"Guran-san, your hand is glowing."

"SHUT UP A MINTUE, LEE-SAN! I'M GIVING THIS BASTARD TO THREE BEFORE I-" Saimon looked at his raised fist as he noticed a blue glow radiating from the ring on his hand. He growled at Neji before activating the ring.

_Saimon-kun?_

_Yeah, here. You guys ready yet?_

_Yeah! We're right over the city!_

Saimon gave a surprised sound and stared at the ceiling suspiciously. _You're over it? How'd you get up there?_

_Not important. What do you need us to do?_

Saimon thought. _Can you see the big dome-shaped building in the middle of the city?_

A pause. _Yep. That's where you guys are?_

_Yeah. Is there anyone around the building? They're probably making a weird sign with their hands and not moving a whole lot…_

Another pause. _Yeah, there's one kid. He's just kinda staring at the wall, and he's concentrating mana onto the building…_

Saimon smiled. _You mind breaking that concentration?_

_How?_

Saimon began to chuckle evilly. _Be creative._

_Hee hee… gotcha. Over and out._

Saimon turned the ring off and regarded the rest of the group. "We're almost home free. Just give it a-"

ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!

A giant roar shook the floor under the group. As they all lost their balance and fell, the roar continued, the sound of large beating wings now added. Barely audible, the sound of a scream broke out from outside. The beating died down and as the ringing in their ears did too, the group found silence once again.

"What… What the hell…" Neji got to his feet, panting slightly. "Was that… that…"

"You don't want to know." Saimon pointed to the clock. "We have to move! We don't have much time left!" The group nodded, and ran up the stairs.

They reached the top and were relieved to find that they had not looped back. Instead, they entered the third floor hallway. Down the way, a door marked 329 stood open. There was a lot of noise coming from the room, the source being the 150 ninja that were inside.

As the group gave a shout of victory, an exam proctor reached for the doorknob, about to close it. The gang began to run full tilt towards the room.

"WAIT! WAIT UP!" Saimon called out. "We're here! We're here!" The hand froze on the knob as the group of six dived through the opening. They slid into the exam room, panting heavily. The clock struck the beginning of the exam and the door behind them slammed shut.

_Why, _Sukotto asked himself as he noticed a shinobi walking to the front of the room, _does it always have to come down to the second?!_


	27. The Exam: Explanations

"Attention!" A shinobi from the front of the room called to the 156 ninja that were present in the room. Sukotto turned to the front as at least 20 adult shinobi assembled in front of them. All wore the outfit of an exam proctor, a heavy beige tunic held up by a large belt. The one in the lead was the one who had called out.

"I am Morino Ibiki, chief examiner of the first part of the Chûnin Selection Exam." Sukotto gulped._ That guy is HUGE! I hope we don't have to fight _him!

Meari was on the same line. _All those scars on his face… where'd he get those?_

_…What's up with that bandana? _Saimon was maybe a little farther off. _It makes him look like a pirate…_

"From now on," he said, resting his gloved hands in the pockets of his black trench coat, "you won't so much as lift a finger to another shinobi without my or another proctor's consent. Furthermore, even when this permission is granted, anything that endangers the life of another participant is strictly forbidden. Any rule breakers will be kicked out, without a second chance. Do I make myself clear?"

_As if anyone's going to disagree with him… _Sukotto eyed the proctors surrounding Ibiki. _Those guys look like they mean business…_

"If we're clear, then we can begin the exam."

Sukotto felt his two other companions tense up. _I wonder what this is going to be like…_

_I hope it isn't a battle royal or anything…_ Meari gave the boys a concerned look. _That'd be bad… I doubt we could hold ourselves…_

Saimon had his fingers crossed. _If we're lucky, maybe they'll just have us demonstrate our strength and they'll give us a grade or something…_

"When your name is called, come forward and present your ID. You'll be given a seating number. Once everyone has their place, the written exam will be passed out.

There was a slight pause.

"A PAPER TEST?!" That had come from Naruto. The whole room seemed to be in the same mindset as, one by one, the shinobi walked forward get their seating number.

"Oh CRAP!" Saimon turned to the other two. "What're we gonna go?! Sukotto and I don't know ANYTHING about this stuff!"

Meari shook Saimon by the shoulders. "Wait! Calm down! I remember this part!" She racked her brain for the memories of the manga. "Yeah, this is just what happened in _Naruto_!"

"You've read this?"

"Yeah. The exam should have ten questions on it. The first nine are impossibly hard to answer, but the tenth question…" Meari thought for a moment. "It isn't given until 45 minutes into the test. It's a test for our mental strength. The proctor gives us an option; either to quit there and take the exam next year, or to try and answer the question. Supposedly, if we answer wrong, we don't ever get to be a shinobi again. It's a question designed to weed out the weak-minded and only passes those who are ready to risk everything… If we choose to try and answer the question, we'll pass." Meari looked at the boys. "Whatever you do, do NOT crack when Ibiki-sama gives us that choice, 'kay?"

The boys nodded as "Bobaku Meari" was called up. She paused for a moment, and then went to her designated seat.

---

_Somehow, I think they spread us out on purpose…_ Sukotto thought sarcastically, looking at his comrades, who were indeed at the opposite ends of the room. _Well, it doesn't matter. If Meari-chan's right, as long as I stick it out to the end, we'll be okay._

Ibiki walked to the front of the room. "Now that everyone has their seat, I'll explain how this test works. Listen up, because I won't be taking any questions." He picked up a piece of chalk and began to write on the chalkboard behind him.

"The exam consists of ten questions. You'll each start out with a perfect score of ten points. For every answer you get wrong, one point will be subtracted from your score."

"Each team has, therefore, a joint total of thirty points. At the end of the test, the deductions from each member will be deducted from the joint total to form the final cell total. The object is to have the smallest amount of deductions possible to your team total and keep the highest amount of points."

_That explains the "team of three" rule…So this exam is still essentially a team exercise._

"Finally, if any shinobi here is caught doing anything that resembles cheating, each member of that shinobi's cell will receive a two-point deduction. Being caught cheating by a proctor will let you and your team-mates down. If you want to become a chûnin, if you want to be the best shinobi that you can be, you have to behave as if you already are one!"

_Huh? That…Why did that sound weird?_

"Finally," Ibiki said, a grin creeping onto his face, "should any member of your team lose all of his or her points, your team will fail and you will be disqualified from the exam!"

Sukotto choked on a rather large lump in his throat. _If just ONE of us loses ten points, we FAIL?!_ A glance to Saimon and Meari showed he wasn't alone in his state of panic. _Just calm down… as long as we can just stick it through the tenth question, we'll be okay…We'll be okay…_ Sukotto continued this mantra until he received his test. When it was placed on his desk, Sukotto immediately flipped it over and examined it. _Alright… _He looked over each question. _It's just what Meari-chan said it would be. I don't have a clue how to solve the first nine questions… then there's the tenth… _Sukotto read out the last question. _Question 10: Decipher the following coded message and state the appropriate course of action to- _

Sukotto shook his head and read again. _Wait… Wait, this isn't right… _He recalled what Meari had said._ It's not supposed to be given out until 45 minutes into the exam…_Sukotto re-read it a third time, to be safe._ Oh no…_ Sukotto gasped as he realised the truth. _The exam's changed from the one in the manga; the tenth question's just a regular question now… That means we actually have to pass it!_

Looking at Saimon's sweaty face and Meari biting her finger, Sukotto's butterflies returned. He drew the only possible conclusion;

_We're gonna fail!_

---

_OMAKE!_

Meari: Welcome to a special edition of Owari: Interview with the Characters! I'm Meari! Since Kotto-kun wasn't planning on doing this, I decided to give him his own interview! So, let's bring him in! (Looks offstage) KOTTO-KUN! COME HERE, BOY!

Kotto: AHHHHHHH! (Flies onstage, lands at Meari's feet) What the-

M: SIT ON THE CHAIR!

K: (Jumps onto the chair) What's going-

M: Sai-kun! Restrain him!

Sai: TAKE THIS YOU BASTARD! (Ties up Sukotto)

M: Good!

K:… What is going on?!

M: Oh, Kotto-kun! I'm so glad you could join us!

K: DON'T PLAY DUMB! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

M: Giving an interview! What's it look like?

K: (Notices audience) Oh… Oh no…

M: If you don't want to answer a question, it's alright! I'll just make you!

K: You are evil.

M: Glad to hear it. Want to start?

K: Alright, I'll do it.

M: We'll start off simple. Question 1: What's your favourite Card?

K: The Shadow. You can do pretty much anything with it, if you're creative.

M: Can it do the dishes?

K: Okay, anything _but_ the dishes.

M: Question 2: What is your inspiration for Owari?

K: Hm… It's a combination of my friends, manga, battle music and chocolate.

M: Well said.

K: And spinning on my swivel chair. I get some of my best ideas that way!

M: … This job isn't as easy as I thought… Question 3: What's your favourite Tama-chan technique?

K: That would be the Eyes of the Heart!

M: What does that do?

K: It lets me see things… Strange, beautiful things… (Goes into Daydream Mode)

M: This is a mode we haven't seen before… how many modes do you have?

K: Well, I have Regular Mode, Competition Mode, Tamaki Mode, Dance Mode, Skittles Mode-

M: Skittles Mode?

K: (Glares mischievously) Would you like a demonstration?

M: NO! Question 4: What's your favourite manga or anime?

K: My favourite manga is Tsubasa… as for anime, I like the Cardcaptor Sakura movie!

M: You're obsessed with Sakura, aren't you?

K: No, she just gets cool stuff… that I want… badly… (begins to hyperventilate)

M: Calm down, Kotto-kun… Question 5: Which character is the hardest to write?

K: Right now, it's probably Saimon-kun. He has kind of a complex personality…

M: How so?

(The audience leaves when they hear Saimon's name).

K: They really do dislike him.

From far away: I give up… I can't take it anymore…

K: Well, he's pretty calm and mellow sometimes, but when he's angry, he can get very active. His speech is hard to mimic on-screen because it's very original. Not to mention he never gets any sleep, so he ends up fluctuating between dead tired and really hyper all day…

M: He's weird… (Audience returns). Question 6: Can we get a hint as to what may be coming up in future chapters?

K: I've decided to run through how each member of the team deals with the exam. We'll start with me, then you, Meari-chan, and Saimon-kun bringing up the rear. The next three or so chapters may be a little short, but I guarantee they'll be good!

M: Oh, sounds exciting! Question 7: What's this harem we keep hearing about?

K: What? Oh, um er… I-

M: Kotto-kun…

K: (Sigh). You know Emiri-chan, Remikku-chan, Samasa-chan and Roren-chan?

M: Yup.

K: Well, because we always hang out and I'm the only guy in our little "group", they refer to themselves as my harem… Nothing happens, I swear!

M: (Bursts out laughing) SUKOTTO-KUN NO SUKEBE!

K: I'M NOT A PERVERT!

M: Whatever you say… Question 8: What's your most embarrassing moment? This one comes up a lot…

K: I have embarrassing moments?

M: You know, that part of your life BEFORE you got your iPod and lost all your shame?

K: Oh right… the Dark Years… Well, we were at Spring Training Camp, and I dove into the water… and…

M: And?

K:… that's when I realised I forgot to tie my suit…

M: GASP!

K: Yeah, it came right off. I managed to grab it before it got to the bottom of the pool, but it was too late…

M: (Can't get off the floor laughing) SKINNY-DIPPING! HAHAHAHA!

K: I've never gotten over it… (shudder)

M: (Manages to sit back on the chair). Q-Q-Question (HAHA) 9: Is there anything going on between you and Mear- WAIT A MINTUE!

(Disturbance in the audience)

Redhead: Time to escape, girls! Let's go get Roren-chan!

Blonde with Lunch bag: We'll see you later, Tama-chan! (Wink)

Redhead: We have to go put on those skirts you like, Tama-chan!

Brunette: And our make-up! We need to get that ready too, Tama-chan!

(Three run away, killing themselves laughing)

K: (Twitching eye) Why… why do they do that to me?...

M: That was… disgusting…

K: Please don't make me beat myself up again.

M: I think you've suffered enough…

K: Anyway… (turning to audience) Once she joins our party, we'll have Roren-chan's interview, so send in your questions before then!

(From far away, lightning and thunder strike. An evil laugh is heard)

K: We may have reason to be afraid…

M: Very afraid…

K: Let's go… (Meari and Kotto leave)

…

(Four girls enter wearing Can Can skirts and lots of make-up, giggling hysterically)

Blonde with Lunch bag: DARN! We missed him!

Brunette: Aww… That would've been really funny… (Laughs at the thought)

Redhead: We'll get him during Roren-chan's interview!

Platinum Blonde: (Laughing evilly) It's going to be _awesome_! Hee hee hee!

(Four girls exit)


	28. Mind Over Matter

Sukotto groaned as he finished reading the entire test for the third time. _Nothing. Not a single question I could answer… No tricks… No patterns… No hope… _His head flopped uselessly onto his desk. _What am I going to do? I can't let Meari-chan down… but these questions are impossible to answer! I don't think I'll be able to pull this off!_

"_If you want to become a chûnin, if you want to be the best shinobi that you can be, you have to act as if you already ARE!_" Ibiki's statement echoed in Sukotto's head.

_A lot of help that's going to do me. How I can become a chûnin if I don't know anything about being a genin? Surely they can't expect us to know all of this…_

Sukotto's head rose a few inches off the desk. _Hold on a minute… Maybe they don't expect us to know this. I don't doubt that even a chûnin would have trouble answering these questions… But it wouldn't be about knowing the answers… _

Sukotto looked across the room, to where Sasuke was seated. Almost to verify his thoughts, he saw Sasuke's eyes become visibly redder, locking on to a student in front of him. _It's about how you FIND them! A chûnin should know how to gather information in the most dangerous situations…_Sukotto looked to the board, where the exam instructions had been left. _The point-deduction system… It's basically telling us that we can only get caught a few times before we fail… All I need is a good plan, and I should be okay…_

Sukotto dug into his pocket. _They didn't take away my Cards or my key… but it's not like I can just release them in the room… I need to get somewhere else._

Sukotto was having a lucky day. A boy wearing a black bodysuit and a strange hood raised his hand. "Excuse me? I have to go to the bathroom."

"One of the proctors will accompany you." A proctor stood and walked the boy out of the room.

_The bathroom! Perfect! I'll just say I have to go, and then I can use my magic there! _Sukotto opened his mouth to ask, but as he moved his lips, no sound came out.

_What? What's going on? _Sukotto tried again. Again, not even his breathing could be heard. _Why can't I-_

Sukotto tensed up and cursed with some colourful language. _Oh NO! Meari-chan at the gates! She told me to shut up, and didn't tell me I could speak again! I can't say a word until she Orders me to!_ He began to panic again. _What do I do now?!_

Sukotto dug deep into his pockets, hoping against all hope that his luck was still with him. His hand passed over his Cards and onto something squishy. Realising what it was, he yanked it out with mixed feelings of triumph and dread.

_One of Lee's Power-bars… _He took a sniff. _Oh, dear God, these are definitely rotten… One bite of this and I- _He cringed as he looked to the door, and down to his only salvation. _Well, I guess a little indigestion is worth being able to help Meari-chan._

Unwrapping the Bar silently, he took a bite and choked it down. _UGH! This tastes like rotten egg mixed with- OWWWWWW!_ When the unholy atrocity hit the bottom of Sukotto's stomach, he felt his entire digestive system convulse. His stomach cramped, his body tensed, he fell over in his desk and abruptly-

---

GASP! COUGH! COUGH!

Sukotto was kneeling next to the dirty toilet, having finally gotten every last bit of that bar out of his stomach. _Never… again… I won't ever eat another Power Bar as long as I live! _Shaking his head, he returned his mind to the task at hand. _Time for Part Two…_

Sukotto walked out of the stall towards the proctor that had accompanied him. The man's back was turned, talking to someone in the hallway. Sukotto reached into his pocket for the third time that day and readied his weapon. _Good. Whoever he was talking to has lowered his guard…_ _I really do hate to do this to you, but-_ Sukotto tapped the man on the shoulder.

The proctor turned as Sukotto reached for his nose. He pinched it, causing the ninja's mouth to open. Taking the element of surprise, Sukotto's hand shot forward and-

-Stuffed a half-eaten Power Bar into his mouth.

The proctor ran to the toilet and began to… do his thing. Sukotto watched guiltily. _Well, if it's anything like what I went through, I should have a good fifteen minutes without him noticing a thing. I'll alter his memory after. _Sukotto locked the door, released his key and pulled out a Card.

"_MIND! Pull my consciousness from my body and allow me control over sentient beings! RELEASE!" _The spirit of a woman in a bishop's hat appeared. She placed her hands on Sukotto's temples and gently lifted on them. Sukotto felt feather-light as he saw his body fall out from underneath him.

_Thank you._ The woman smiled, then absorbed into Sukotto. _Let's go do some homework!_

---

Sukotto passed right through the door to the exam room and hovered over the students. _Let's see… Sakura-chan looks like she has some answers…_ He paused as he noticed two very different auras around the kunoichi. He looked over to Ino, whose aura had completely disappeared. _Ah, I guess Ino-san beat me to it. _He drifted to Saimon, who had begun to answer his questions with a somewhat worried expression.

_Well, looks like he found a way out. _As Sukotto passed Saimon, the swordsman briefly turned his head towards his friend. He gave it a curious glance before returning to his test. _He sensed me… _Sukotto smiled. _Good! That means he's getting stronger!_

Sukotto eventually came across a shinobi who had completely filled his exam. After an awkward moment, Sukotto managed to slip inside the boy's body. He picked up the test and began to read, having the _Mind _record every answer in his memories. He finished Memorising, pausing only to shake his head and frown at the extreme difficulty of the questions, then slipped out, causing the shinobi to temporarily lose consciousness.

_Alright, I'll just head back to my body and- AAH!_

Sukotto flew backwards as though he were a parachute in a gust of wind. He slammed into someone and phased into their body against his will. He shook his head, a little dizzy. He looked down at his new host, and gave a small sound of surprise when he saw himself in Meari's body. _What? _He looked up at her desk. Her paper hadn't been touched. _She hasn't written anything either… _Sukotto checked the time, and then quickly scribbled down the answers on Meari's sheet.

He checked over the answers, and, as an afterthought, wrote a note on Meari's paper. He then slipped out of Meari's body and flew off to his own vessel, hoping that the Power Bar had done its job.

---

It had. The proctor was still kneeling over the toilet when Sukotto slipped back into his body and picked himself off the dirty floor. _Poor guy, _Sukotto said, readying the _Mind _one last time. _I'll cut him some slack and make sure he doesn't remember this._

A predicted 15 minutes after Sukotto had attacked him, the retching sounds ceased. Sukotto looked over to the stall as one very angry shinobi walked out, finger pointed at Sukotto. "Listen, you little brat! I don't know what the hell that was, but I'll make sure that you never-" Sukotto chose this moment to release the Card hidden behind his back. The shinobi paused for a moment, and then dropped his finger, gazing at Sukotto with a glassy-eyed expression. "What… what was I just saying?"

"Oh? You were reminding me that there was only another 15 minutes in the exam!" Sukotto smiled at the sound of his voice, stashing his key into his shirt. "I'm all done now. Thanks for putting up with it!"

"Yeah… sure, whatever." The shinobi returned Sukotto to the exam room, still a little disoriented.

Sukotto picked up his pen, giving a discreet look to the proctors. _I don't think they found me out…I should be okay! _He smiled, and began to write his answers down.

---

He finished writing just as Ibiki returned to the front of the room. "Return your tests to your proctor. Time's up!" Sukotto handed in his exam, and stole a glance to his companions. Saimon returned it, a nervous expression on his face. A suspicious look from Meari showed the same.

Sukotto sighed wearily. "Things are starting to get interesting."


	29. Observant

_Howdy!_

_Sorry, this one took longer than usual… Lots of accursed Physics homework and I'm going to Western Nationals to boot… But worry not! We'll live!_

_For those of you wondering when the Naruto arc is going to end… I'd say probably 7-ish chapters._

_So, without much more ado about nothing: Chapter 29!_

_This is bad, _Meari concluded, having discovered the absent trick question. _Up till now, everything has pretty much been the same as the manga… I mean, sure the destination for the written exam was changed, but that wasn't a big deal… but_ this… she sighed. _This is a disaster._

Meari racked her brain, trying to recall everything she knew about the exam that now lay on her desk. _The exam was meant to test our information gathering skills… It's set up to force the students to cheat in order to learn the answers…_ She looked at the test, recognising the same impossible questions from _Naruto_._ We don't have the tenth question anymore, but if Kotto-kun and Sai-kun can get find least a couple answers without getting caught, we can- _

Meari bit her fingernail as she choked on her own breath. _Oh right… I forgot to tell the boys about the whole cheating thing. Crud._ She glanced over to her Cell mates, both clearly in a state of panic. _If they could just calm down for one second, they can figure it out! Please guys, think! THINK! _She began to will all her energy in a futile attempt to beam the message into their brains.

---

After what seemed like an eternity, Meari saw Saimon begin to fiddle around with the ring on his finger. He took a surreptitious look around, then rested his face into his arms, and didn't budge. _Well, it looks like he's up to something._ Meari looked over to Sukotto-

-just in time to see him discretely shove a Power Bar into his mouth.

GASP! COUGH COUGH!

Sukotto was quickly escorted out of the room by a proctor. Meari made a sickened face. _He wouldn't eat _that_ unless he had a plan… _Meari relaxed ever so slightly._ Alright, now I just have to worry about getting the answers for myself._ Meari thought for a moment. _Maybe I could cause a distraction over by the chalkboard, and while everyone… No, no… That would be too obvious. Maybe if I could use my chain to open one of the windows to a certain angle, I could copy off the reflection- no, they'd definitely catch me. _Meari pondered. _What can I do?_

A noise at the back of the room caused everyone to turn around. A proctor entered, closing the door behind him. His strange voice greeted them, low pitched yet very squeaky. "Uh… Sorry I'm late. Had to take care of some troublemakers."

_Who is that?_ Meari wondered, taking in the extremely bizarre appearance of the newcomer. His uniform was abnormally bulky, the far-too-long shirt sleeves concealing his hands, the pants covering his feet. His hitai-ate covered his forehead and bandages concealed everything on his face, save for a small beady eye shining out from a hole in the cloth. He seemed disoriented, and he stumbled many times as he walked towards his seat. He sat down with some difficulty, taking out his clipboard.

_Something isn't right about that one…_Meari watched him for a moment as the proctor's eyes did a quick sweep of the classroom, then looked down at his clipboard, fumbling with the pages, almost nervously. He stopped on a particular one and stared at it intently.The proctor then looked up at one of the students, looking without so much as a blink. Meari followed his gaze to the student in question.

Saimon had begun to write, filling in the first answer with his messy scrawl. _Does the proctor have something to do with that?_ Meari glanced back to the strange shinobi, who repeated the process of looking at his clipboard, then staring back at Saimon. _Yep. Looks like it. Sai-kun fills in an answer every time that proctor looks at him. _Meari sighed. _Well, if he can figure out a way, I can- huh?_

Saimon paused, cocking his head to the left, a suspicious expression on his face. He stared into this space for a brief moment, and then returned to his test. _What was that about? _Meari looked to Saimon's left as the boy seated there had a small spasm, his whole body seizing up. He then picked up his test and brought it to eye level. It would've been a completely innocent act had Meari not noticed the confused frown of the student. _This is starting to get weird._

"Oops." Saimon had accidentally swept his paper off his desk. He grabbed it from the floor and slowly pulled it up, briefly showing Meari two words he had written on the backside of his test: _That's Sukotto-kun!_

Meari frowned for a moment. _Kotto-kun? _Meari looked over to the other boy. _Did he… do that with magic? _Almost as if to answer her question, the boy placed the sheet of paper on his desk, and tensed up once more. He then fell to his desk, asleep. _Kotto-kun…You can do something to help me, can't you? _Meari bit her lip, and then crossed her fingers. Concentrating all her mental power, she cried out in her mind: _KOTTO-KUN! HELP ME!_

---

Meari opened her eyes. She was leaning on her desk; her arms sprawled out beside her. She sat up slowly, shaking her head clear. _What happened? _She looked at her test and gasped. The answers had all been filled out in a familiar handwriting. _Kotto-kun… It worked! _Meari smiled, and then noticed a note that had been written on top of her test:

_Sukotto-kun! Speak again!_

Meari stared at it for a moment, and then realised what it meant with a small giggle. _Oops._ She did the same as before, calling out the Order with all her mental power; _KOTTO-KUN! SPEAK AGAIN!_ Nothing happened, but Meari was fairly certain it had worked. She looked at the clock. _15 minutes left. If Kotto-kun can get back here and write his answers down, we'll pass!_

---

At the end of the test, Ibiki returned to the front of the room. "Return your tests to your proctor. Time's up!" The exams were handed in, and Meari stretched. _That was a weird day…_ She looked at her team-mates and frowned. _We need to do some thinking…_


	30. Saimon and the Strange Proctor

_I seem to have slowed down…_

_Sorry for the delay on this one (again), I was busy with school and swimming (again) and my friend was dragging me into an RP she's organising, so I had limited time to write… _

_Okay, so I let myself be dragged a little… _

_FINE! I WAS DOING ALL THE DRAGGING! GO AWAY! YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF THE PRESSURE YOU PEOPLE PUT ME UNDER!_

_Leave me to my hyperventialting and enjoy!_

---

Saimon rubbed his temples, desperately trying to devise a plan to get some answers. He glanced longingly over to the student beside him, who was filling in his questions with an expression of utmost relaxation. _This is RIDICULOUS! Here I am, sitting next to who a guy who's probably the biggest brain in the class, but I can't so much as lean towards his desk without getting caught! _He gulped, eyes bulging as the student finished filling his test and stretched. _I CAN'T TAKE MUCH MORE OF THIS!_

He brought his fist up to beat himself in the head, when he noticed the Blue Ring on his finger. He dropped his fist and pondered for a moment. _Would they know anything about ninja stuff? Do they know anything at all?_ He shrugged. _Well, if they're in Naruto world, I might as well give it a shot._

Taking a quick check around him, Saimon buried his hand and face into his arms, concealing the glow that the ring had now begun to emit. He felt the familiar deafening sensation around him, and soon, the squeaky voice of Red filled his mind.

_Saimon-kun! Did you guys make it into the exam alright?_

_Yeah, thanks to you guys. _Saimon crossed his fingers. _Listen, I need your help again._

_Really?! Can't you stay out of trouble for five minutes?!_

Saimon rolled his eyes. _Did I mention we're having ramen for dinner tonight?_

… _What is it?_

The swordsman grinned, and then explained his predicament to the Dragons. _Is there anything you guys can do?_

There was a pause as Red discussed the problem with his brother. _Yeah, I think we can do something. Just sit tight for a second._

A wave of relief washed over Saimon. _You have no idea how happy I am to hear that._

_Yeah, yeah... Is the exam door unlocked?_

Saimon looked. The door was ajar. _Funny. I thought I saw them lock it earlier. Maybe someone had to leave and left it open…_

Red was talking to Blue. _Check his pockets! It should be- AHA! _A pause. _We'll be right up!_

_Okay… wait, what?!_

_You'll see! _Red's voice faded away, and the connection was cut off.

Saimon lifted his head and sighed, glancing nervously at the clock. _I hope they don't do anything stupid…_

---

"Uh… sorry I'm late. Had to take care of some troublemakers." A new proctor had entered the room, stumbling dangerously over his far-too-baggy pants. He took an empty proctor's seat and took out his clipboard. Saimon saw him glance around the room, before resting his visible eye on him. The ring began to glow once more.

_Saimon-kun! It's us!_

Saimon looked at the figure, stupified. _You guys are in that thing?_

_Yeah. Turns out we scared a few more people than just the ninja using the Looping Around Jutsu-ma-jig. One of the proctors came to investigate and we… uh… _He thought for a moment. _Well, the point is; we stole his uniform and proctor ID!_

_And the other proctors took you seriously?_

_Well, sort of. One of them standing outside the bathroom gave us some grief, but we showed him the proctor ID and he left us alone._

Saimon was flabbergasted. _Well… Besides the ridiculous outfit… that's a pretty smart plan._

_Thanks. It was my idea. Now, where could we find the answers?_

Saimon thought for a moment. _Maybe there's a key on the clipboard?_

_Hold on a sec. _Saimon watched as the proctor clumsily flipped through the contents of the clipboard. _Got 'em!_

_Read them to me._

_Alrighty; Answer 1…_

Saimon smiled, and then began to write.

---

As he was halfway through Question 5, a strange sensation made him look up. _For just a moment, Hebishippo and Ryuukiba tugged at me…_ He looked to the left of his desk, where his swords had pulled his consciousness. _Is someone there?_

_Hey, Saimon-kun! Did you just sense Sukotto-kun?_

Saimon stared at the air beside him with surprise._ That's Sukotto-kun?_

_Yeah- or, well, it's his spirit… I think he's using magic… But the fact that you sensed him is a good thing!_

Saimon looked over to the desk that his friend had vacated. _So, he has a plan… _Saimon returned to his test, tried again to copy down answer five, but a new tug pulled at him from his swords. He turned and watched as the nerd beside him went into a mini-spasm. As the fit died, so did the swords' tug. Saimon looked at the nerd, recognising this sort of reaction from the Wise One's room. _Astral Projection! Sukotto-kun just possessed ol' Smarty Pants!_

_Um, Saimon-kun? There's a girl over there that keeps looking at you…_

_Huh? _Saimon budged sureptitiously to see Meari, who had now focused her attention on the brainiac. _Yeah, that's Meari-chan._ Saimon eyed her test, which had yet to be marked by anything other than her name. _She doesn't have any of the answers yet!_

_She's a friend?_

_Yeah! Can we do anything to help her?_

Red said nothing for a moment. _How smart is she, would you say?_

_Pretty smart. Obsevant as hell, too._

_Okay… maybe try doing this…_

Saimon followed Red's plan, writing down two words on the back of his sheet. Pretending to be frustrated, he slammed his fist down on the table, blowing his exam off the desk. "Oops!" He bent down to retrieve the test, hoping the mini-commotion had gotten Meari's attention. He picked up his sheet, careful to show the back in Meari's direction, which read: "That's Sukotto-kun!" He turned back to his seat and began to write again.

_Looks like she took the hint._

_Good… alright guys, next answer._

---

"Return your tests to your proctor. Time's up!" Saimon handed in his test, and watched as Red and Blue ambled away. _I guess that explains a little bit; Blue's propped up on stilts and Red's on his shoulders… _Saimon made a face at the absurdity of their appearance, before looking at his team-mates and giving Sukotto a thumb up. _Looks like we're alright…_

He sat back in his chair. _Now I can look forward to a nice, quiet evening. I just hope Sukotto-kun and Meari-chan aren't going to keep me up all night talking about something stupid. _He thought for a moment about this possibility, and then waved it off. _Nah, no worries there._

---

_And we're done with Phase 1! For those of you wondering, I'll only be going as far as the Forest of Death before saying good-bye to Naruto World (but not eternally, fear not!)_

_No Omake this time. Sorry (I know how disappointed you must be… Stop celebrating)_

_I do, however, have another project I'm working on that could be considered a VERY large Omake! It's already up, so enjoy it, if you wish!_

_Happy Reading!_

_Skittles_


	31. Thinking Back, Moving Forward

_It took a full day's worth of toil and now my eyes hurt…_

_But hey! We have another chapter up! WOOT! How about that, huh? Thought I was getting slow in my old age, didn'cha? Proved you wrong, eh? YEAH! Take that, non-believers!_

_Please enjoy!_

---

"And then, Saimon-kun and Sukotto-kun, wanting to take our Card, challenged us to a fight! Of course I didn't want to hurt them, but no one tries to attack my brother and gets away with it! So I shot them with my Secret Flaming Death Attack…" Red, between mouthfuls of ramen, was telling Meari "all about" the Dragons' first encounter with the boys, the latter listening with amusement clear on her face.

After the exam, the three had hooked up with the Dragons and Cell 7. They had decided to spend the night at an inn, near the entrance to the village. While Naruto and company had decided to go straight to sleep, the others in the next room needed to postpone their rest.

"Alright, that's as far as you go." Saimon picked the Dragon up by his tail.

"Aw, come on, Sai-kun! He was just getting to the part where you begged for forgiveness!"

"YOU'RE BELIVEING THIS STUFF?!"

"You guys are going to wake everyone else up." Sukotto walked over, putting up his finger to quiet the noise. "And I think it better they don't hear us." Blue climbed down from Sukotto's shoulder.

Saimon looked at the mage with a weary expression. "Lemme guess; we need to talk?" Sukotto nodded. Saimon sighed, and then sat down. "Let's get it over with; I just wanna sleep." The group agreed, sitting down and helping themselves to more tea from the stove. This night promised to be long.

Meari was the first to speak. "First we end up going to Hayashigakure… now the test had changed… and I can't help but feel it's somehow because of us."

Sukotto agreed. "Well, if we assume a few things, it might make a little sense. I've been thinking about this for a while, and I've come up with a theory. Pure conjecture, but it's a theory…"

Saimon prepared himself for a long explanation, renewing his supply of tea before motioning for Sukotto to continue.

"Maybe," he said, thinking back to the test, "the test from the manga and the test we just received are both based on a certain level of difficulty. The harder the test, the more shinobi teams are weeded out as a result." Sukotto continued his life-long tradition of pacing while trying to think. "Not including us, there were about 51 teams of shinobi there, those being the only ones who were originlly supposed to take the test.

"Now, we add ourselves, making our total about 52 teams. Assuming I'm correct, this could have made our number _just_ too big for such an easy test. Now, they needed a few more teams to be disqualified in order to have a decent number. So," Sukotto concluded, "they had to use a harder test, and eliminated the 10th question to complicate it."

Blue applauded. "Sukotto-kun's so smart!"

Saimon looked to Meari. "Any ideas on how we changed the location of the exam?"

Meari thought for a moment. "Well, the number of Konoha shinobi just got a little bigger… Maybe they didn't want so many shinobi to have the home team advantage."

Saimon groaned. "So, basically, we tipped the scale just enough to make it weigh against us?"

"Yeah, and its possible that this could happen again, in other worlds. Suddenly, our knowledge about all this manga and anime has gotten a lot less useful."

The swordsman sighed. "Our luck sucks." The group laughed.

"Not really." Red grinned. "See, we were able to come in time to help you guys out! We got you all your answers too! That's plenty lucky!"

"Yeah!" Meari stood up. "Kotto-kun was able to win a Power Bar from Lee-san! That was a blessing in disguise!"

_A putrid, vile, reeking, rotting disguise…_

Blue jumped up onto the bed and reached behind his back. "And that's not all!" He pulled an object out from behind his back. "TA-DA!"

Sukotto gasped. Blue was holding a Sakura Card, a red loop depicted on the front. "The _Loop_! Where'd you find that, Blue?!"

Blue smiled, handing the Card to Sukotto. "The kid who was casting the Looping-Around Do-hickey dropped it! We thought we'd save it for you!"

"Blue…" Sukotto smiled. "THANKS!" Sukotto hugged the Dragon, who cheered with glee.

"Well," Saimon yawned, stretching, "if we're all done talking and what not, I'd like to hit the hay."

"Right," Sukotto put Blue down. "We start the Second Phase of the exam tomorrow. We need to get some sleep!" He turned to the Dragons. "Are you guys staying the night?"

Blue made to speak, but a look from Red caused him to remain quiet. "Sorry, we have to get going."

Sukotto sighed. "Oh…" He shook his head, and smiled. "Well, then… until we see each other again."

Meari bent down to pat Red and Blue on the head. "Nice meeting you both! I hope we can eat together again soon!"

"Yeah! I'll tell you more about the fight later!"

"LIKE HELL, YOU WILL!"

More goodbyes were said, then, with a backward glance, Blue followed his brother out the door and away from the gang once more.

---

"Red, I don't get it." The Dragons were making their way towards the city gate. "Why can't we just stay with them?"

"You know we can't, Blue!" Red hollered over his shoulder. "They're off finding their friends and doing exams and other stuff; they'd slow us down too much! The faster we can travel, the faster we can find _him_!"

"But still… we're so close now… it hurts to be away from each other… and now that I know how it feels to leave your friends," Blue looked back at the inn, "I really want to help them! I'm sure they'll come across _him_ sometime! If we just stay with them, maybe we can all be happy!"

Red turned and sighed. He placed his hands on Blue's shoulders. "One day, Blue, whether it's really close or far away, we'll find the Warrior. After we've met him, we can come back and stay with Sukotto-kun and everyone else! But for now, we have to keep moving. Okay?" Blue sniffed, and then nodded. "Come on, put on that dumb ol' smile you always have. Mom's watching, you know!"

Blue laughed. "Red…"

"Don't get all mushy on me!" The brothers laughed, and then looked up at the wooden gate. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah. I'll get started."

Before joining his brother at the base of the gargantuan doors, Red turned back to see a lit room in the inn. As the light died, Red could see a figure with red hair standing on the balcony. _One day… We won't have to say good-bye anymore…_


	32. The Exam: Further Explanations

_The action begins again… after a quick explanation of the Second Part (groan)._

_From here to the remainder of Naruto world, things are going to take a very graphic, more dread-ish kind of mood. Just a heads-up._

_I will, of course, throw in the occasional tension breaker. Because we all need those to sleep at night. Especially yours truly, I have nightmares just imagining the things I'm doing to my friends XD_

_Enjoy!_

The three comrades stood before a giant chain link fence, within it housed a forest of the likes they had never seen before. The trees were monstrous, towering above them like wooden mountains, being almost as thick. Thick foliage created a leafy canopy, depriving the lower level of much sunlight. It was unnaturally quiet, giving the entire area an overwhelming feeling of dread.

"Attention!" A woman standing in front of the large gates addressed the large group of shinobi that stood before her. Her default proctor jacket hung open to reveal a bodysuit made of the standard mesh material most shinobi wore. A small skirt of leather was held up by a small belt, and shin guards protected her lower legs. "I'm Mitarashi Anko, your chief examiner for the Second Part of the Chûnin Exams! And this," she indicated the forest behind her, "is Practice Arena 44!" A smile crept its way onto her face. "Also known as: The Forest of Death!"

GULP. The reaction was roughly the same throughout the ninja.

"Hmm?" Anko did a quick count. "26 teams?! Are you serious?!" Anko began to mutter to herself, and Sukotto caught the words, "Ibiki… too easy… stupid…" drifting on the wind. "Well, it doesn't matter… Alright! Listen up; I'm going to explain this only once!"

She pointed her finger into the forest. "Inside this forest filled with blood-sucking leeches, man-eating beats, poisonous plants…" she went on to describe the wide array of possible threats, "…is a tower, approximately 10km from the individual gates you will be starting at." She reached in a pocket and pulled out a black scroll. "In this tower will be 13 scrolls that look like this. Grab one, escape the forest within this day, and you'll pass this part of the test."

_Only 13 scrolls? That means at least half of us here are going to be disqualified… _He shuddered. _Or worse…_

"This exam has no rules, so watch your back; you may attack (or be attacked by) other shinobi during the test.

"Report to that booth over there to fill out the necessary waivers. You will then be taken to your starting position."

"Wha? Why do we need waivers?" Naruto asked loudly, provoking a death glare from Sakura.

"Well, there are going to be some deaths in this test." Anko smiled. "I'd rather not have them be my responsibility."

GULP.

---

Standing before the large chain link gate that would soon open to the Forest, Sukotto huddled with his team. "Before we go, I have something I need to say…" He looked at the two expressions that mirrored his and sighed, realising his team-mates already knew. "Whether it's right away, whether it happens a year from now… we're sure to find ourselves in a situation where we'll be forced to…to…" He couldn't quite choke the word out. "Well, you know…" The group nodded. "If that ever happens…"

"We move forward." Saimon nodded. "We have to do what we have to do, if we wanna stay alive."

"As long as we don't have to face it alone," Meari said, putting her hand in the middle of the group, "we can overcome it."

Sukotto nodded, placing his hand on top of hers, Saimon joining in, too.

"Alright, then. Let's go."

The group walked over to the large gate, which slowly creaked open. They waited on the signal of the proctor.

_Bobi… forgive me… I'm doing what I have to…_

_Hebishippo…Ryuukiba… I'm counting on you to help me out here…_

_Sensei… I won't let you down. No matter what…_

"Ready?" The proctor raised his hand, three hearts beginning to beat at the same, painful rhythm.

"Set!" The three bent down, staring into the depths of darkness that they would likely never leave again. Sukotto swallowed the last of the lump in his throat, knowing there was nowhere to go but forward.

"GO!"

With that, the three ran with equal speed through the gates, into the Forest, and vanished into the artificial night.


	33. The Forest of Death Sucks!

_Before entering the period of extreme action-ness, I'd like to take a moment to thank all my reviewers and supporters up to this point. You people rock, and I thoroughly appreciate what you're doing to make me a better writer! Give yourselves a big pat on the back! Go on; Skittles says you deserve it!_

_Ahem. Back to the dramatic tension XD._

_Mission Time! #8: The Forest of Death!_

The Exam isn't over yet! Hurry to the Tower and collect your Scroll, then book it outside to pass! You only have today, so get moving! Watch out for the dangers of the Forest, and keep your guard up; this Forest can change people…

Rewards: Access to Third Part of Exam, (?) Scroll

…_BEGIN!_

"AHHHHHHH!"

Another shriek erupted from the forest, making Sukotto jump. Ever since they had entered the area, the entire group had been on their toes, twitching at every sound that reached their ears. Little noise was made, meaning that every cry, scream and shout made by other teams around them was heard with crystal clear quality.

"Wait!" Saimon hissed, stopping the other two in their tracks. "Look." The others followed his signal, glancing about 25 metres in front of them.

A ninja was slumped against a tree. On his shoulder, a hole about the size of a fist had been dug, blood pouring from it.

Sukotto sighed. "No aura around him. He's dead." The group slowly advanced, Saimon in the lead. He knelt down by the ninja and felt the blood on him.

"Oh, shit. It's still warm." Saimon looked to his team-mates. "He's been dead for minutes, probably…"

"Which means," Meari gasped, "whatever did that to him…?"

"Is still around." Saimon twitched slightly.

A movement above caused Meari's head to dart up. "SAIMON-KUN!"

A dozen yellow slug-like creatures, all the same size of a small dog, fell from the tree above. Their underbellies were black, save for the large sucker appendages which were stained bright red. Two beady red eyes were balanced on the front of the creature, gazing intently on their target below. "WATCH OUT! THEY'RE LEECHES!"

One in particular had been so lucky as to perch right above its victim. It opened the "mouth" on its underbelly and-

-was promptly speared by a red sword. "Kill them! Quickly!"

Meari made the quickest hand signs of her life. "FIREBALL JUTSU!" The leeches that had dropped around her quickly dissipated into ashes. She went forward to help Saimon, who was now surrounded. He tried to swing at them, but their squishy backs easily folded to absorb the impact. They warded off all his attacks, advancing closer and preparing to attack.

"Sukotto-kun!" Saimon called back. "Help me flip these things over!"

"Got it!" Sukotto pulled out a Card and jumped back from harm's way. He tossed the Card into the air before him and called out:

"_Card, lend your power to Hebishippo! Deliver unto us an attack that sends enemies into the sky!_"

He struck the Card, causing a pink aura to flow into Hebishippo."_GLIDE!_" The sword flashed, and Saimon, taking the hint, plunged the sword into the ground.

Geysers of pink energy exploded from the ground underneath each repulsive bug. They were shot into the air, suspended by bubbles of light, unable to move. Meari flung kunai at the immobile bugs, and they all dropped to the ground, dead.

Saimon pulled his sword from the ground and heaved a sigh. "I guess this isn't called the Forest of Death for nothing."

"Yeah, that guy over there found that out-" Sukotto began, but stopped. "He… he's gone." The three turned. The bloody body they had seen a second ago had vanished, a log resting in its place. "Don't tell me…"

Meari brought her kunai up. "Genjutsu! We just walked into a trap!"

Saimon brought his swords up, scanning the brush. "Why would they make a trap right under a tree full of leeches?"

As if to answer his question, kunai flew from all directions, pulling behind them strong cords. The projectiles ricocheted off of (what now appeared to be carefully placed) stones, until each member of the team was tightly bound head to toe.

"Well, we needed to get you in the right places." A shinobi and his team-mates jumped down from their hiding places. The trappers were from Konohagakure, but Meari had never met them before. Leaves camouflaged their vests and mesh undershirts, blending them perfectly into the trees above them. "The leeches were a bonus, though; we were hoping they'd finish off at least one of you. Just to save us some dirty work, you know?"

Saimon roared at the ninja, trying to move his hand enough to cut the ropes that bound him, but to no avail. "BASTARDS!"

"Don't worry; we won't kill you." The lead shinobi smiled, pulling out a kunai and walking over to Meari. "I tend to find that bait works better when it's alive and screaming."

A cracking sound filled the air as the shinobi jumped back, his hand now bleeding profusely. "You probably should've killed me while you had the chance," Meari said, the chain she had animated coiling beside her. It slithered to the ropes that bound her and cut them loose. "Now, I have a hard choice to make." She sent her chain over to her team-mates, cutting them loose as well, and then turned to the now not-quite-so-sure-of-themselves shinobi. "Do we kill you ourselves, or do we 'save ourselves some dirty work?'" She gestured towards the leech-infested tree, in which probably remained many more of the putrid bugs.

Clearly not wanting to taste their own medicine, the shinobi readied their weapons, as did the boys behind Meari. She struck first, flying at the lead ninja with kunai in hand. He jumped to her left, and evaded the kunai. He did not, however, evade the gust of Wind that knocked him straight into a tree. Without skipping a beat, Saimon jumped into the gust and rode it, Ryuukiba extended.

The blade caught the shinobi in the stomach. With a sickening gasp, the shinobi slumped, blood oozing from the wound. Saimon yanked his sword from the tree, and the warm body slid to the ground.

Meari shuddered, and one of the remaining shinobi, enraged at the sight of his dead comrade, flung shuriken towards her with a war cry. Caught off her guard, the projectiles hit their mark, catching Meari in the shoulder.

"AH!" She clutched her arm, adding to the puddles of blood that had now littered the forest floor. Wincing from the pain, she yanked out the shuriken, splattering more of the red liquid onto the trees around them.

Sukotto ran up to Meari while Saimon engaged the two remaining shinobi. He stopped to plug his nose, a foul smell now beginning to fill the air. _This is sick! At this rate, it won't be long before-_

From above, quiet shuffling noises were heard. Sukotto snapped his head up to see small forms emerging from the branches of the trees. Glowing red eyes blinked into view, and the feeling of absolute dread filled him once more.

While the smell had been unbearable for Sukotto, it heralded a marvellous dinner for the leeches.


	34. Surrounded

They emerged in droves, running down the trees like water. It quickly became apparent that the group wasn't going to be fighting their way out. The shinobi had stopped attacking Saimon and were now looking upon the invading leeches with wide-eyed shock. The ground around them was littered with puddles of blood, but that would sate so few leeches for so little time; they would quickly dry that up and move on to find more of it.

"RUN!" Saimon motioned to his comrades. The tree bolted down a path clear of trees, the nameless shinobi following right behind them. Daring to look back, Sukotto instantly regretted this decision; the hordes of leeches had already finished off the dead boy, and were now advancing, reaching amazing speeds for legless bugs. To add to their disadvantage, the group had to clear the innumerable bushes and trees that blocked their escape; the leeches, which were using the branches above, had no obstacles at all.

"GA-AHHHHH!" The bigger of the two shinobi had run out of breath, and was promptly tackled by one of the leeches. While many leeches did stop to attack the new body, the remaining still hunted the four shinobi with no signs of tiring.

"Th-Th-They're gaining on us!" The last shinobi cried. "We're gonna DIE!"

"SHUT UP AND KEEP RUNNING!" Saimon snapped.

"Screw that!" The shinobi split off from the group, high-tailing it into the bushes. "I'm finding the exit! I'm over! Done! That's it for- AIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!" His scream left very little to the imagination.

"What're we gonna do?!" Meari looked over her shoulder. "They ARE gaining on us!"

Sukotto shoved a hand into his pocket. "Saimon-kun! Can you make your shield big enough to block them all?"

Saimon nodded. "There are lots of them! It won't last for long!"

"Alright, I'll hurry! Do it!"

Saimon skidded to a halt, and brought up his red sword. "_Ryuukiba! Grow and defend! I reject!_" The sword quickly grew into an enormous shield, which blocked the advance of the leeches. Sukotto made sure the shield was in place, and then threw up a pink Card and hurriedly called out:

_Card mastered by Sakura,_

_I ask thee to discard thy former self_

_And reincarnate_

_Under the name_

He swung his staff forward, piercing the Card and releasing an array of blue light:

_Of your new master, SUKOTTO!_

_Under our new contract, I grant you the name:_

_RE-_

Before he could call out a new name, he paused; the leeches, which had just been attacking the shield in a frenzy, froze. With a moment's hesitation, they quickly turned and sped away from the trio. They disappeared into the thicket, and the forest became quiet.

Saimon, making sure they were truly gone, dropped his shield. "What was that all about?"

Meari looked at Sukotto. "You think you scared 'em off with your magic?"

Sukotto shook his head. "I used Cards in front of them before, and they just kept attacking…"

Saimon thought for a moment. "You think maybe they were expecting another _Glide_ attack? Maybe they saw what happened to the earlier group and decided not to try t out first-hand." The group realised this was a sensible solution, and with frequent checks behind them, began to walk deeper into the Forest.

---

"Look, guys! The tower! The TOWER!" Meari jumped, excited. This yell was quickly extinguished by the collective SHH! Saimon and Sukotto gave her. "I'm just relieved, that's all," she pouted.

"It's still pretty far away." Saimon sighed. The top of the tower was now just visible through the holes in the thick canopy, but only due to its height. Even so, the sight gave some comfort to the group. They relaxed ever-so-slightly, unwinding many tense muscles.

_We still have a chance,_ Sukotto continually told himself. _Those leeches were a blessing in disguise; we wouldn't be half as far as we are now if they hadn't-_ Sukotto swore, then shoved a hand into his pocket. _Oh, crap! I forgot to finish transforming the Loop!_ He pulled out the Card, which was still glowing blue, caught in some sort of half-Sukotto half-Sakura stasis. _That can't be too good…_ Sukotto called to his team mates. "Hold on one second, guys. I'm just going to finish this." He tossed the Card into the air.

_Under our new contract, I grant you the name:_

_Redi-_

The Card burst into red light before Sukotto was able to finish. At the same time, another Card from his pocket began to glow furiously. The two rose into the air and began to float away. Sukotto gasped, shook off his stunned reaction and tried to grab the Cards, but to no avail. They shot off in the direction of the tower.

"What the…?" The three watched in confused silence as the Cards disappeared from view. In the next instant, from the tip of the tower, a beam of light shot into the sky. As this beam receded, a dark field began to spread from it over the Forest. Like a living cloud, it radiated from the tower over the Forest, casting impenetrable darkness over the trees. At the same time, from behind the trio, a red line was drawn by an invisible pen, in what appeared to be a large circle around the Forest. Saimon tried to back away, but the red line behind him proved to be some sort of barrier; they were trapped, and the darkness was advancing.

"I don't think this is part of the test!" Meari tried to cut at the barrier, but it remained in place.

Sukotto braced himself. "Stay close!" The group huddled together, weapons drawn, growing tenser as the cloud slowly spread towards them.

"Here we-" Saimon was interrupted as the field grew over them. All sunlight disappeared, and the group entered instant and complete darkness. The roar of rushing wind reduced the sounds around them to nothingness. Sukotto's entire body was deprived of feeling, and his legs gave out from under him. Before he hit the ground a strange fatigue washed over him, and he fell into the darkness, his friends' presences being vanishing.

Sukotto cried weakly, with a voice that didn't belong to him. "Don't…l-leave… me…" His eyes closed, and he continued to fall…


	35. In The Dark

A boy stumbled through darkness, sobbing quietly, calling out to someone who wouldn't answer. Shadows drifted around him noiselessly, flowing in and out of the surrounding heavy fog. The boy clung to his black cloak, trying to shelter himself against the small breeze that was slowly freezing his hands.

_Who… who am I?_

He stopped his meaningless trudging. He searched his brain for an identity, a clue, anything at all. All his efforts to recall something were in vain; he could think of nothing but questions.

Suddenly, something fleeted through his mind, like a voice.

_S…Sukotto…?_

He looked up. A small light was shining out of the darkness, warming the boy's hands. A different boy with short blonde hair and a warm smile appeared from the light.

_Who are you…?_ The boy paused. _Sukotto?_

The boy's smile widened, and then nodded.

_Do you know… who I am…?_

From out of the shadows, more people began to appear. These were not the same as the one called Sukotto; when the boy even came close, they vanished, leaving only the sound of their laughter behind.

One girl his age appeared, showing him a strand of her red hair. "Look, Sukotto-kun! I got it dyed yesterday!"

Another ghost appeared, this time a smaller boy with black hair. "Welcome home, Nii-san!"

A girl held out some colourful candies to the boy. "Want one, Sukotto-kun?"

"Wanna meet at the park later, Sukotto-kun?" "Kotto-kun, can you help me think of a good title for this chapter?" "Could you go find that arrow for me, Sukotto-kun?" Voices burst into life all around him.

_Who are you all? What's happening?! _The boy turned to Sukotto. _Sukotto, who are they? Who are you? Tell me, please! Tell me!_

Sukotto's smile disappeared, and then spoke with an echoing voice. _I can't quite yet… You need to wake up, soon!_

_Wake up?_

Sukotto nodded. _You've forgotten something important! You have to remember it! I'm just a dream, and dreams end when the dreamer wakes up!_

The boy stepped forward. _You can't leave! I'll be alone again! Please don't go!_

_You have to wake up! Do it, quickly, or you might be lost forever! _Sukotto's figure slowly vanished.

_SUKOTTO! SUKOTTO! _ He ran to the figure of light, but it had already dissipated. The boy felt cold once again, and as silence slowly surrounded him once more, he began to cry.

_Sukotto… someone… anyone… help me…_

It was then he recalled another name. Something caught on the tip of his tongue, trying to leap into his brain. He paused for a moment, trying to calm himself down in order to hear it. It seemed like something familiar, something comforting. _Is it… my name? _He clutched his head, begging his brain to remember.

_Wake up…_ A voice rang out to him, but he had forgotten whose it was. He groaned, his head beginning to hurt.

_Wake up! Wake up!_

The boy stopped moving. His eyes widened, and he stood, the cold wind dying…

_I remember… My name…_

The darkness around him was suddenly lit up with dazzling light. He lifted his head, feeling a familiar strength coursing through his body.

_My name… My name is-!_

_---_

"WAKE UP, DAMNIT! You're gonna give me a heart-attack!" A sudden pain in Sukotto's side jerked his eyes open. A cold sweat covered his face, and his breath was coming out in short gasps.

"Oh, good. It worked." Saimon bent down to look Sukotto in the face. "Geez, you're a mess."

Sukotto got his panting breath under control and sat up straight. The worried face of Meari greeted him. "What was wrong, 'Kotto-kun?"

Sukotto cleared his head. "Just a nightmare. A bad one, but it's only a dream." He shuddered at the recollection of it. "It was so real…" Sukotto looked around him. "Wait… where are we?"

Meari shrugged. "I think… I'm pretty sure it's still the Forest…"

The Forest of Death looked even more deadly, if such a thing was possible. The trees were bare, yet their branches intertwined to create the same roof-like canopy. It seemed to be evening; the temperature was slightly cooler and no sunlight was visible through the slight cracks in the branches above. The biggest difference, however, was the complete absence of life around them; no animal, green plant or human was visible, and none could be heard in the vicinity.

Saimon recalled that, when the darkness had hit the trio, they had fallen asleep. When he and Meari had awoken, the Forest had already completed its transformation. Sukotto had still been asleep, but not in the violent, sweaty, twitchy state in which he had awoke. In fact, Saimon told him, he had barely even been breathing, and showed barely any forms of life. At first, the two had thought he might be dead, but Sukotto then broke into his nightmare, and Saimon, getting spooked, had kicked him in the side to wake him up.

"…and we still don't have a clue how to get out of here." Saimon concluded.

Sukotto thought for a moment. "If we could find the source of this field, we could probably destroy it… did you guys try the force field again?"

Saimon nodded. "About that." He picked up a decent sized stone, and with a motion to direct Sukotto's attention, threw it in the opposite direction of the tower.

"See?" The stone, once having disappeared into far off darkness, appeared again, travelling back to Saimon. It landed at his feet. "Meari-chan already tried to go find help, and she got sent back, too. We're stuck on the inside of the Forest."

"Oh, joy." Sukotto rubbed his temples. "Have you tried the other direction?"

Saimon nodded. "It works fine. Nothing weird there."

Meari looked to the direction of the tower. "Should we go there?" The boys nodded. She sighed. "Figures." She stood up, brushed herself off, and looked to the boys. "C'mon, slowpokes. I wanna get outta here. This place gives me the creeps."

And off they went, towards the dark silhouette of the tower, just visible beyond the roof of branches above their heads.

---

"Has everyone been evacuated?!" Anko yelled to the jônin around her.

"We're totalling the numbers right now, ma'am." A nearby officer ran to the large group of genin that now littered the outside of the Forest.

Anko turned to the large chain link fence and groaned. From out of nowhere, a dark cloud had appeared over the Forest, cutting all contact with the operatives at the tower. At the first sign of trouble, the smart shinobi (or the ones that were still alive) had immediately fled the vicinity, but when special agents had been sent in to investigate the source of the cloud, they had wound up back at the entrance without a clue as to how they got there. Furthermore, any jutsu employed against the cloud or the strange loop trap had no effect whatsoever. _What a mess. This is going to mean a lot of unwanted paper work…_

"Ma'am?" The officer had returned.

"Report," Anko said wearily, not liking the expression the shinobi wore.

"Among the 26 entrant teams, 18 teams were confirmed alive and operating just before the spreading of the cloud."

"And how many do we have here?"

The officer sighed. "16, ma'am. No other shinobi were found outside of the loop trap."

Anko groaned. "Are you telling me that there are two teams inside that cloud?!"

"Uh… yes, ma'am." The officer clearly did not like his current position.

Anko thought for a moment, and then summoned a second officer. "Send in a squad to examine the force field. Relay any information you find to the Black Ops immediately." He shot off to a group of Jônin and began to assign them. Anko turned to the original officer. "Find out which squads are still inside and get me their leaders. I want to know if one of them caused this." The shinobi nodded, and then vanished.

_Because if they didn't, _Anko said, looking into the semi-sphere the cloud had formed, _it might be _him_…_


	36. Mirrors and Mist

"WHAAA-!" A girl's voice cried out from further inside the Forest. Its echoes seemed endless, as though a hundred other voiced had screamed as well.

Sukotto, Meari and Saimon stopped. It was quiet again. They all knew what the others were thinking: Was this a legit cry for help... or was it a trap?

Sukotto looked to his teammates. "I doubt anyone in this trap would still care about the exam... who knows what could be lurking out there?"

Saimon nodded. "Yeah..." He looked to Meari. "I don't suppose your guide has anything to say about this?"

Meari smiled. "No, but I say we chance it."

The three nodded, and took off towards the direction of the voice. As they delved deeper into the Forest, more sounds reached their ears. Metal clanging on metal, the fast "pitter-patter" of footsteps, and the occasional cry of a jutsu heralded a large battle further into the thick trees. The trio was running straight towards it.

"There!" Saimon pointed to a gap in the trees. "It's some sort of clearing!" This gap in the dense plant-life held slightly more light than the Forest around it, and the group could hear the battle echoing dangerously closer.

Meari stopped before the trees and peeked around a tree. She readied a kunai and motioned for the boys to cover her. Bracing himself, Sukotto launched himself into the clearing behind Saimon…

…and found two, identical, pink-haired kunoichi squaring off against each other.

"Sakura-chan?!" She turned and gasped.

"Sukotto-kun! Meari-chan! Saimon-kun!" She darted back to her opponent. "Can you do something about this?! When I attack it, it just does whatever I do!" She flung a kunai at the duplicate as the latter did so at the same time. The projectiles hit each other in mid-air and ricocheted into the trees.

"No problem!" Meari ran forward, towards the doppelganger. "Try and copy me, dummy!" With that, she launched herself into a jump kick and hit the fake Sakura square in the stomach.

"Gahh!" The Sakura slumped to the ground. "Owww…"

"Huh?!" Meari regarded the girl with an inquisitive look. "It didn't disappear…"

The girl looked up at Meari, still clutching her stomach. "Meari-chan! I'm not the fake, she-"

"Meari-chan! MEARI-CHAN!" She turned back at the call of her comrades-

Just in time to see the "real" Sakura disintegrate, a look of triumph on her face. At the same instant, a strange white fluid fell around the girls, as though it was being poured over an invisible bowl. It dropped to the Forest floor all around the two, forming a large, silver dome. Meari and Sakura were trapped inside and, as the dome solidified, they slowly vanished behind the thick reflective wall.

After being stunned for a breif period, Saimon charged at the dome. "Get them out!" They swung at the prison with all their might. Upon realising simple attacks wouldn't do the trick, Sukotto began to rapid fire it with Sunbeams. Saimon leaped at it and slammed Hebishippo straight into its side, but nothing would even dent the cage. The boys drew back, panting.

"Damn it… what is that?!" Saimon stared at the dome.

"Don't worry; I can still sense the girls in there. They're fine for now." Sukotto thought for a moment. "Why does this seem so familiar to me? Did something like this ever happen in _Naruto_?"

Saimon thought as well. "You know… it does seem kind familiar…" Saimon's head jerked up suddenly. "Where did that come from?!" Saimon pointed up, and Sukotto followed his gaze.

As quickly as the dome before it, an extremely thick layer of fog had begun to appear over the clearing. In a matter of seconds, the entire area was filled with mist; Sukotto wasn't able to see his hand in front of his face, much less Saimon.

"Oh, crap. This is bad." Sukotto suddenly recalled where he had seen this before. "But… I thought they were dead…"

A movement within the mist caught his attention. He squinted his eyes, and suddenly wished he hadn't.

Sukotto's heart began to race, his pulse raced, and he began to sweat. Before his eyes, a bloodied, wide-eyed Zabuza Momochi was staggering towards him, his trademark sword dragging on the ground beside him.

---

"It's no use." Sakura turned to Meari. "It's completely solid. I don't think it's gonna break without a really strong force."

Meari sighed. "Do you know any really strong jutsu?" Sakura shook her head. "Well, I suppose there's always _that_ one…"

Sakura shook her head. "Let's save that for a last resort. Maybe the boys can think of something." She sat down. "I hope they're okay."

"Probably better off than we are." Meari laughed. "Don't worry; if I know them, they already have a plan to get us out."

This was followed by a blood-curdling scream that resembled Sukotto's voice. With a slight pause, the girls began to ferociously attack the wall of their prison, with kunai, foot, fist and jutsu alike. As with the outside, nothing would touch the cage. Sakura backed off suddenly, but Meari kept swinging

"Don't stop! We have to get out!" Meari made to resume her attack, but Sakura stopped her with a motion of her hand.

"Look…" On the walls of the cage, colours and strange shapes began to appear. They were like slowly shifting clouds, crawling along the walls, converging in front of the girls. Slowly, the shapes began to create the form of a person, who was standing in front of the girls, a familiar staff raised in front of them. The form wore blue jeans, a yellow T-shirt, and a shinobi vest, and as it began to come into focus, the girls gasped.

"K…Kotto-kun?" Meari saw her friend staring back at her, but realised it was not as she thought. Something about this boy's eyes was very different from the Sukotto she knew; instead of the steely blue colour she was used to, these eyes were a cold, haunted black. His face, too, wore a cold expression that was alien to Meari, and she didn't like it at all. The tip of the staff began to glow.

"_Sun_!"

A beam of light shot from the wall to Meari. It caught her on her left shoulder, attacking the kunai wound she had received earlier. She fell to the ground, her shoulder now slightly burnt.

"MEARI-CHAN!" As the image of Sukotto vanished, Sakura moved over to her.

"It's… it's fine, don't worry." Meari painfully pulled out a fresh set of bandages from her bag. "I'm okay, really."

Sakura looked to where the image had vanished. "That… wasn't Sukotto-kun, was it?" Meari shook her head. Sakura sighed. "I didn't think-" She stopped abruptly, staring at the other side of the prison. Meari looked at her quizzically.

"What is it?" Meari followed Sakura's gaze.

"That isn't Saimon-kun is it?!"

Meari gritted her teeth. The red-haired swordsman held the same cold expression his predecessor had. Perfectly duplicating the real Saimon's moves, he ran forward, Ryuukiba extended, and slashed the air in front of him. With the sickening sound of tearing flesh, Sakura was sent flying into the wall behind her. She slumped to the ground, her head lolling to her now bleeding shoulder.

"Why…" Meari turned to Saimon, who had already vanished. "Who are you?! Why are you doing this?!"

Echoing with despair in the dome, a sad voice answered. "To teach you… the way of a shinobi…"

Another form began to appear, this time much slower. From the bottom up, a pair of wooden sandals, brown pants, and blue tunic top appeared. It wasn't until the face began to finally come into focus that Meari stepped back, realising just what she was up against.

Haku slowly reached up and put on a decorated clay mask. "This time, my mission will be completed." The figure burst into many different colours, causing many illusions around Meari to appear at once. "This Prison of Mirrors will be your grave."


	37. Demon of the Hidden Mist

_GASP! It appears I left you guys standing in the middle of a very sickening cliff hanger with little else to entertain you..._

_For a REALLY long time. Please forgive me, I knew not what I did. Enjoy!_

_---_

"You're not in the world you think you're in." Zabuza smirked, his voice ragged and his eyes bulging from his face. "This is a Realm of Spirits…a place for those perished in a life of sin… we walk for eternity, finding no escape…

Sukotto gripped his staff tight, his knuckles turning white. "So… you are dead…"

Zabuza laughed. "It is a half-death. I have a cheap imitation of life in this plane… my sole purpose to kill those who have sinned as well, so my soul may be cleansed. Prepare yourself!" He gripped his long-sword behind him and, in one fluid motion, drew it and ran at Sukotto.

The mage barely had time to react. He tossed the Card he had been hiding behind his back into the air. "_LEAP!_" He soared over Zabuza's head, readying another Card. As he landed, he turned and struck the second. "_SUN!_" The beam of light shot straight towards Zabuza. In a split second, the shinobi vanished into the mist, and the beam was lost into the fog. A painful scream followed.

_Did I get him?_ Sukotto panted, his legs shaking. In response to this, a chain whipped out of the darkness and wrapped around his legs. It was suddenly drawn taught, and Sukotto was sent falling backwards, slamming his upper body into the cold dirt beneath him. The chain was flung back, and Sukotto knew what that meant.It was preparing for a second strike.

True to this, the whip reappeared, sailing over Sukotto's head in a giant arc. Sukotto brought his arms up in a feeble attempt to block his face, as the chain came flying down on him.

"ARRGH!" Pain erupted on his arms and stomach as the chain hit. As blood erupted from the slim cuts, the chain whipped back for a third assault. Before it reappeared over his head, Sukotto saw the chain flash in the moonlight. _That chain… it's blue… it's-_

"SAIMON-KUN! STOP! IT'S ME!" The whip, which had already moved in for its attack, stopped just above Sukotto's face, held motionlessly rigid in the air, as though lying on some invisible table.

"If it is you, tell me my birth month by tugging on the chain. If you give me a wrong answer, or try anything funny, you'll see just how fast this chain can fall." Judging by the tone in his voice, Saimon meant every word. Sukotto reached up and tugged on the chain five times, making sure to give enough time in between each.

Sukotto called back. "Now, tell me mine." The chain wiggled once and remained still. Sighing with relief, Sukotto grabbed onto it and pulled himself towards the source of the weapon. Soon enough, he found Saimon at the other end, a bloody wound on his stomach. "Did he give that to you?"

"Maybe… Could Zabuza shoot giant glowing beams or something?"

"No…" Sukotto gasped. "Oh no, I think I hit you with my Sunbeam! Sorry!"

Saimon noticed Sukotto's arms. "Looks like I'm guilty too…" He clenched his fist. "He made us try to kill each other."

"But why? He could kill us so much faster doing it himself."

"You don't think he's toying with us?"

Sukotto shook his head. "If I recall correctly, he wasn't really the kind to do that." He thought. "No, I think it's something else."

"There!" Saimon pointed to the left. A shadow was approaching, a giant sword in its grip. "Any ideas?"

Sukotto thought for a moment. "Is he standing in front of…?"

"What?"

Sukotto squinted into the distance. "Is that the Tower's silhouette behind him, there?"

Saimon followed his gaze. "Yeah, it is."

"He's standing in front of that dome thing. It was in the same direction as the Tower. Whatever material that was, it seemed to be kind of reflective. If I were to hit it with a Sunbeam at this distance, it'd probably reflect right off that thing and hit us."

"He's doing it again." Saimon brought his swords up. "If he isn't attacking us… we can rule out him being afraid… maybe he's setting a trap… or maybe…" Saimon dropped out of his ready stance. "I have an idea. Just stay put for second." The two boys remained motionless as the shadow grew closer.

"Saimon-kun… what exactly is this plan of yours?"

"Sukotto-kun, you trusted me at Mount. Fuji. Trust me here. Don't move. Bring your staff down, too. I want him to have a perfect opening." After a pause to make sure he wasn't joking, Sukotto nodded, and stayed motionless. Zabuza was so close, Sukotto could see the individual veins in the whites of his eyes.

"Now, close your eyes." Sukotto whipped his head around so fast he thought he might get whiplash.

"I beg your pardon?!"

"Quick! Do it! Just relax!" Saimon shut his eyes, and Sukotto, his heart in the back of his throat, did the same.

He heard the shifting of metal on Zabuza's shoulder, imagining in his head how Zabuza was lifting his sword above his head. He saw it rising to the top.

"Relax. You're breathing too loudly!"

Sukotto attempted to slow his breathing, but his lungs weren't getting any air. He gulped and forced himself to hold his hyperventilation. The surrounding area became very quiet.

"You will join me here… in this world…" The ragged voice made Sukotto jump

Sukotto tensed himself. He bit his lip, his knuckles turning white. His lungs began to scream for air… he mustn't pass out… _This is it-_

He opened his eyes. Something had sparkled on his consciousness. A small, quiet sparkle, but it was there.

"DIE!" The sword was brought down on Sukotto's head-

-and passed right through it. An emotionless expression on his face, Zabuza faded away to nothingness.

Sukotto fell to the ground, gasping for air. Saimon gave a relieved whistle and relaxed his shoulders. "Oh, good. I was right."

"YOU HAD DOUBTS?!" Sukotto punched Saimon square in the face. "YOU COULD'VE KILLED ME, IDIOT!"

Saimon returned the blow to Sukotto's stomach. "You didn't have to trust me, Stupid! Besides, you're still alive, so get over it!"

The boys stared at each other momentarily, Saimon's nose bleeding slightly, Sukotto breathing with a bit of difficulty. After a moment, Saimon began to grin, Sukotto rolled his eyes, and the two laughed, relief clear in their voices.

Sukotto wiped his forehead. "My heart won't be able to take too much more of that. Tell me next time."

Saimon nodded and looked at the mist around them. "Well, we know he was an illusion. But this mist…" Saimon swatted it with his bare hand. "It's wet. What do you think?"

Sukotto climbed to his feet. "Yeah. Both of them… Zabuza and this mist… they're Cards."

"Zabuza, too? You already got the _Illusion_."

Sukotto shook his head. "When the _Loop_ flew away to the Tower, another Card followed it." He dug into his pockets, pulling out his Cards and looking at them. "I can't find _Illusion_, so it must've been that."

"And the whole creepy Forest thing?"

Sukotto nodded. "It's an illusion, too. Someone used the Loop to make sure we were the only ones in here. The darkness and the purple stuff is all just someone being creative."

"- and sick." Saimon huffed. "That person's at the Tower, then."

Sukotto nodded. "At least he… or she, I guess… was kind enough to scare away all the leeches and animals. But before we go thanking them, I'll take care of this mist." Sukotto brought his staff up. "If we just call out the Card's name, it should show its true form." He turned to the centre of the area (at least, what he thought the centre was). "_Card mastered by Sakura, I identify you as that which hides behind a thick veil of fog!_ _Mist!_"

Out of the mist, a new shadow formed. A strange green fluid collected in front of the boys, taking the shape of a long-haired elf. Sukotto nodded, and swung his staff up.

"_Return to the guise you were meant to be in;_

_SAKURA CARD!"_

The spirit burst into the strange fluid. This time, it collected at the end of Sukotto's staff, bringing with it the mist around the boys. As the last tendril of fog vanished, the solidified Sakura Card flew down to Sukotto's hand.

Saimon watched as Sukotto stashed the Card in his robe pocket. "So, how do we get the girls out?"

Sukotto looked at the dome. "I think that' one's Card, too. But it'll have to be broken somehow if the Card's going to show its true form." He returned his staff to the inside. "It probably can only be broken from the inside, where its integrity will be the weakest."

"So… we wait?"

Sukotto nodded, frowning. "It's all we can do for now." With that, the two stood in front of the dome, watching, waiting, hoping the girls were safe inside there…

"You wanna start trying again?"

He didn't even need to answer. The two ran at the dome, hacking at it with everything they had.


	38. Way of the Shinobi

_See?! SEE?! I had a reason! Double-feature, as my apology bribe... Blunt, I realise, but hey, you'll forgive me, right?_

_I also, for your viewing pleasure, have re-done Chapters One and Two. In case you haven't checked them out yet, do so now. I'll wait..._

_What'd you think? Stellar? Amazing? FAR better than what I orginally had lying in that spot? I thought so. Glad you approve._

_And so... Chapter 38!_

_---_

"AGH!" Meari slumped against the wall, her injuries being freshly assaulted by the heat of a fireball. She picked herself up again, as Sakura was knocked down by a flying punch. At first, it was just Saimon and Sukotto who had appeared, but soon, Sasuke, Naruto, even Kakashi had formed from the dancing colours to administer their own damage. Each seemed to be the real deal, but a look to their eyes spoke a different story. All had the same cold unforgiving look as the rest.

"Do you see know?" The voice of Haku appeared again. "There are few people in this world you can trust. Humans are squirmy… foolish… they move with the current, swimming away from anything they find treacherous."

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US?!" Meari yelled, watching as Sakura was hit full-on with a dulled-down Lightning Blade Jutsu.

"I want… _He_ wants you to see the true way of the shinobi. If you fail to see, you will be killed, as would be the blind animal being chased by a predator."

Meari stood back up. "You keep talking about that! About being a shinobi, about all that 'the way of a ninja!' stuff. If you think being a shinobi is doomed to failure, why did you become one?!"

A pause in the voices. "Because _he_ willed it so. My life would be nothing without him, so I am his tool… and I understand that it is better to be so then to have to try and survive… with other people…"

"That makes no sense!" Meari looked to Sakura, who had succumbed to her limit and passed out. _Other people can be mean sometimes…_ "…but… not all of them… Not all of them are bad!"

"Humans are, by nature, evil creatures. They think only to save themselves in a crisis."

"You're wrong." At that very moment, Meari heard banging sounds behind her, with familiar voices yelling behind them. "See? They're trying to get in. To save us. You probably met a lot of bad people in your life, Haku. But… but you have to keep trying… there are always nice people, everywhere you look… like you."

"…Me?"

"You would give your life for Zabuza, wouldn't you? A tool can't do anything but obey its master's wishes. Zabuza would _never_ ask you to die in his place, would he? You would do that by your own! And he would do it for you!"

The images around them shifted, but instead of forming a new attacker, they slowly began to fade and eventually vanished, leaving the walls around them bare save for their own reflections. Relieved, Meari ran to Sakura.

"Sakura-chan? Wake up, it's over." Meari shook the girl.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. "M…Meari-chan?"

"Yup! Wakey-wakey!" She helped the girl sit up. "Are you wounded badly?"

Sakura cocked her head to the side. "Huh?" She looked down to her body and gasped. "I AM!"

As Meari gave her a very quizzical look, Sakura began to mumble something, bringing her hands in a strange sign that she had never seen before. Before any questions could be posed, Sakura brought her hand down on her chest. At that instant, her wounds instantly closed up, and her burns vanished. "Much better."

"What kind of jutsu was that?" Meari brought Sakura up to her feet.

Sakura looked at Meari, who was suddenly taken aback. Instead of the usual pale blue, Sakura's eyes were now shining an emerald green colour. "It isn't a jutsu, it's Kido; demon arts, you could say. Here, I'll show you." She did the same thing, pressing her hand on Meari's forehead. She felt a strange sensation, and saw that her entire body was completely healed. "There we go!" She began to look around the dome. "Now… I'll get you out of here… Hmm"

Meari gave Sakura a suspicious look. "You're… not Sakura-chan, are you?"

The girl turned to Meari. "You just noticed? I hope you didn't forget about me, Meari-chan." She laughed. She looked to the roof. "Yeah, that should work."

Meari gasped. She suddenly remembered where she had seen those green eyes before. It had been long ago when she had last seen them, but the memory was still clear. "You're-"

Sakura extended her right arm, placing her left hand at its elbow. "Stand back." Meari did as instructed. Sakura nodded, and then began an incantation.

"_Ye Lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man!_

As she continued, a red light flowed up her right arm, collecting at her fingertips. The stale air in the dome began to whirr about, and Meari felt a strange power that she had never felt before.

"_Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges!__ March on to the south!_"

She pointed to the roof of the dome, and finished her incantation.

"_Way of Destruction, number 31! RED FLAME CANNON!"_

As she spoke these words, a strange thickness in the air filled the dome. Meari watched as, for a split second, the image of Sakura was replaced with the form of a brunette in a black and white robe, he hair flying in the wind. The red ball that had formed blasted from the girl's fingers, hitting the top of the dome with the force of a rocket. The entire dome seemed to shake, and as the mini-earthquake stopped, Meari saw that there was a large crack in the roof above them.

"There you go, Meari-chan!" Sakura reappeared, and quickly dropped to her feet. "Ah!"

"Sak-… No…" Meari ran to the girl's side. "It's Remikku-chan, isn't it?"

She laughed. "Yeah, it's me." Meari helped her up. "Kido is kind of draining on someone who hasn't done it before."

"And… Sakura-chan?"

Remikku smiled. "I'm just borrowing her body for a bit. I can't retain it for much longer, so I need to go."

Meari frowned. "What? You can't go! We're going to find everyone again, Kotto-kun, Sai-kun and I! We're gonna find a way home! Please don't leave!"

Remikku smiled. "Oh, Saimon-kun and Tama-chan are with you? I'll try to stop by sometime again so I can see them too." She looked at Sakura's fingers. "Now... how did that thingy go again? The... Something release…?"

Meari sighed and showed her. "You just interlock your fingers and say Kai, Release."

"Right. Well then, I'm off!" She placed her hands as Meari had instructed and cried, "Kai! Release!" For an instant, Sakura's body went rigid, her eyes quickly changing back to their pale blue. She relaxed and fell to the ground.

"You alright, Sakura-chan?"

"I think so…" She clenched a shaking fist. "I barely have any chakra left. That demon magic stuff really does take it out of you."

Meari laughed. "Then leave breaking out of here to me!"

---

The boys stood staring at the dome. A moment ago, a fierce tremor had erupted from it, and something like an explosion roared from inside. Both were wondering the same thing; were the girls alright?

"WEEEEEEEE!" The top of the dome was suddenly blasted upwards, breaking a large hole in its otherwise seamless surface. Meari jumped through the gap, Sakura following her out. "Yay, it worked!"

"What the hell happened in there?!" Saimon looked from the girls to the now shattered dome. "We heard explosions!"

"Oh, that!" Meari laughed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Just be happy that we got out alright, Sai-kun!" She patted him on the back. "Can we go?"

"Soon enough." Sukotto walked over to the dome. "What was happening to you guys in here?"

Sakura explained. "These images kept appearing and attacking us. They looked almost exactly like you guys, and there was Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun and Kakashi-kun, too. And…" she paused. "There was Haku, Zabuza's sidekick."

"Haku's supposed to be dead too, right?" Sakura nodded. "Alright. In that case, I think I know which Card this is. Stand back."

The group did so, and Sukotto repeated the ritual he had done before. "_Card mastered by Sakura, I identify you as that which lies beyond the looking glass! Mirror!_"

The dome returned to the fluid that had formed it, now taking the shape of a young woman in a white robe, holding a small hand mirror in her hands. Sukotto brought up his staff.

_Return to the guise you were meant to be in!_

_SAKURA CARD!_

The Card was swiftly sealed, and Sukotto added it to his collection. "I wonder how the Mirror managed to do that. Usually it can only recreate people if they're standing in front of it."

The group started off towards the Tower again, but Sakura tapped Sukotto on the shoulder. He slowed down to slip behind the other two, and came into stride beside her. "What's up?"

"Um… about what happened in there…" Sakura rubbed the back of her head. "We saw… someone. I think you know her."

Sukotto looked at Sakura wide-eyed. "She used my body and blew up the dome with some kind of magic… demon arts, she called them. She had to leave, but she gave me a message to give to you before she left. I didn't tell Meari-chan."

Sukotto nodded. "What was it?"

"She said… "I'll try to drop in again sometime, so I'll see you soon! Don't keep me waiting to long, Tama-chan!" She thought hard. "Yeah, that was it."

Sukotto smiled. "Thank you, Sakura-chan."

"Yeah, no problem." She ran ahead to join Meari.

Sukotto looked back to where the dome had been standing earlier. "You never really were the type to just sit and do nothing..." He ran ahead to the rest of the group, the Tower looming larger ahead of them.

---

_Remikku: YES! That's me!_

_Skittles: Yeah, see! I told you I'd get you in there somewhere._

_Remikku: Well, of course! Since you did make me out to be last, Tama-chan... Hidoi desu yo!_

_Skittles: Hm.. yes, well. I'll notice you haven't been reading anything recently. Your comment on that?_

_Remikku: I'll catch up soon! I promise!_

_Skittles: Okay. (High-five). Ooops. Look what we just did with our fingers. Gross, Remikku-chan._

_Remikku: (Uncontrollable laughter) REIGUN! _

_Skittles: YAAAAAAYY!_

_...Random moment for you there, considering as I have NOTHING for Omake... again. Go figure._

_I'll try to update MUCH sooner than what I've been doing... Kei is not leting me leave Arsenic and Cyanide for ONE MOMENT'S PIECE!_

_Kei: That isn't true! Lies, I tell you!_

_Skittles: Kei, you hacker._

_Kei: XP I WIN!_

_Skittles: Yes, Kei (pats on the back)._

_Kei: I need you to pose for that drawing idea you gave me._

_Skittles O.o DO YOU HAVE TO MENTION THAT HERE?! AND IN SUCH A SUGGESTIVE WAY?!_

_Kei: I reitterate: I win. Tongue-stickey-outey smiley face._

_Skittles: (Note to self, get new friends)_


	39. Mortal Combat: Owari Style

_Thanks for all your reviews so far; they are very much appreciated!_

_I don't have much to say here, but I felt obligated to give my usual foreword and wish you a good chapter! It's almost a tradition at this point._

_Enjoy!_

_---_

"Then the darkness started to spread. We tried to run away, but the Loop barrier had already taken effect. I used Kai Release, but nothing happened, and I ended up passing out with Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun." Sakura told the group, explaining how she had ended up in the trap with the three. "When I woke up, the guys were gone, and that… Mirror, I guess… was already there."

Meari sighed. "So, the boys are probably still in here… You think they're alright?"

"I hope not," was Saimon's grumbled response.

"I'm sure they're fine!" Sukotto reassured the girls, stomping on Saimon's foot with considerable force. "I mean, they're not ones to back down easily, am I right?" Sakura nodded. "So don't worry! We'll just take it slowly and-"

"ARGH!" A voice rang out in front of the group, cutting off Sukotto. They paused.

"That was Sasuke-kun! He's in trouble!" Sakura ran forward, drawing a kunai from out of nowhere. Meari quickly followed behind her.

"Slowly… and…" Sukotto's sentence died off as Saimon chuckled and sprung forward. "Never mind." He released his staff and dashed behind the others.

---

"ANOTHER ONE?!" Sukotto looked unbelievingly as the group came face to face with Sasuke and his attacker. The latter in question was a young woman in a strange blue outfit and what could be described as an extremely whacky haircut. But Sukotto knew that woman, if you could call it that; it was the Fight Card.

"Damn it!" Sasuke and the Card were already in a fierce exchange, and it was clear which side was winning. Sasuke tried every move in his arsenal; the Card dodged it. If he attempted it again later, the Card would block it and provide a counter attack. What's more, it even began to use those same moves in an insane combo of fists and feet. Sasuke had numerous bruises; the Card was, as of yet, unharmed.

"We're coming!" Sakura jumped forwards, running at the Card.

"Sakura-chan?!" Sasuke snapped his head towards her and the rest of the gang. "NO! DON'T! IF IT SEES YOU-"

Sasuke's warning came too late. The Card locked its eyes on Sakura, and the surrounding air seemed to shift. Glowing lines grew into existance, revealing the shape of a small, rectangular arena around Sasuke and the Fight. As the group watched, these lines began to move and resize. It stretched out behind Sakura, forming a new ring around her and the Fight.

Meari cried out to Sakura. "Sakura-chan! Get out of there!" Sakura slashed at the barrier, but nothing could be done; she was locked in with the Card.

Sasuke creid out. "BEHIND YOU! PAY ATTENTION!"

Sakura glanced back and jumped out of the way of a flying kick. The Fight's heel kicked the wall where Sakura's head had been a moment ago. After quickly regaining its footing, it ran at her, arm coiling back, fist clencehd tight. Sakura went on the evasive again, jumping away from the Card. At this moment, the Card leaped into the air, bounded off the nearest wall of the ring and tackled Sakura mid-air, causing the kunoichi to land against the opposing wall, pinned by the Fight.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Meari jumped out in front of the Card. "ME! I'M NEXT!"

The Fight instantly dropped Sakura and focused its attention on Meari. As the ring reformed, Sakura was repelled from the ring by some invisible force, sending her stumbling back towards Sasuke. The barrier re-affirmed itself, and the Fight engaged Meari instead.

Sukotto coached from the side. "Meari-chan! Just keep it on the evasive! Mix up your moves and try not to repeat yourself!" Meari nodded, and began to jump back from the Card's fists.

Saimon looked at the Card and growled. "How do we defeat it? We can't use any move more than once, and even if we use a completely new one, the Fight's just going to dodge it!"

"HEY!" Sasuke called out to the boys. "What do you know about this thing?!"

Sukotto and Saimon ran over to him and Sakura, careful to avoid detection from the Card. "It loves to fight, and it has honour." Sukotto looked at the combatants. "Although, I don't think it was able to make those barriers before."

Sakura looked at the ring. "Could that be the same thing that made the loop barrier around the Forest?"

Sukotto thought. "It's possible. If it is, it won't be the Loop's main body, so trying to capture it would be pointless."

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. "Know anything else?"

"Well, since it has a deep sense of honour, it won't have anything to do with unfair numbers on either side of the fight. Its main purpose is to fight as many people as it can in order to learn different battle styles."

"-AND IT LEARNS THEM REALLY FAST, TOO!" Meari was hopping everywhere, dodging punch after punch. "IT ALMOST GOT ME WITH A BARRAGE OF LIONS JU- AHHH!" Meari was kicked up into the air by the Card, who jumped up after her.

"Oh, crap! Sasuke-kun, that's-"

"The Barrage of Lions!" Sasuke stared wide-eyed as the Fight brought itself up to Meari's height. He knew what would happen next; the Card would flip in mid-air, sending Meari straight into the ground with a downward kick. A deadly one, at that.

"Don't let that kick hit you!" Sasuke screamed at Meari. "Try to hit it with something!"

"But if she does, the Card will just learn that move and use it against her!"

Sakura gasped, and cupped her hands. She cried desperately. "MEARI-CHAN! THE FIREBALL! USE THE FIREBALL JUTSU!"

Not needing to be told again, Meari formed her hand signs as the Card began its final flip. "FIREBALL JUTSU!" The fireball erupted in the sky, aimed straight at the Fight. With no time to counter, the Fight air-dodged to the side, bringing Meari out of its range. She quickly dropped to the ground. "TAG ME!"

Sukotto jumped into the field. "FIGHT! MY TURN!" Meari ran as the barrier reformed again, and Sukotto gripped his staff. "You guys just think of a plan. I'll try going offensive! _LEAP_!" He shot into the air, striking another Card. "_SUN_!" The light collected at his staff, and shot down towards the Fight. As it neared its target, the Fight formed the hand signs that Meari had made earlier. It brought its hands to its mouth and blew.

Nothing came out. The Fight, taken aback only slightly, brought up its arms and managed to absorb the Sunbeam without too much trouble.

"The jutsu didn't work!" Sakura cheered. "It can only learn our taijutsu! It can't use magic or ninjutsu!"

"KOTTO-KUN! JUST KEEP UP THE MAGIC STUFF! We'll think of a plan!"

"OKAY! HURRY, PLEASE!" With that, Sukotto Leaped to another side of the ring, firing more Sunbeams at the Fight, who went on the defenisve.

"We need a really strong attack. Ninjutsu is all and good, but we don't have any techniques strong enough to take it out! Our chakra would be gone long before that!"

Sasuke nodded. "Not to mention making the hand signs would make us sitting ducks."

Sakura began to think. "We want to use something that can finish it in one blow."

"It needs to be fast, too." Sasuke folded his arms. "If it's dodged, we'll have the Card with a deadly attack on our hands."

"Something fast, something strong-"

"Something impossible to dodge." Saimon smiled. "I have something that'll work." He turned to the rest of the group. "It'll take a moment to charge. If the Card sees me, it'll attack and I'll have to start all over again."

Meari raised her hand. "Didn't Kotto-kun say that the Card wanted to fight as many people as it can?" The group nodded. "So far, when it saw someone else to fight, it dropped its current opponent right away. It's not concerned about beating people, it just wants to fight as much as it can."

Sakura thought. "If it only fights one person at a time, what would happen if a whole bunch of people challenged it at once?"

Sasuke nodded. "It would have to fight one at a time, changing targets everytime it received a new challenge."

Meari turned to Saimon. "Go over there! We'll cover you!"

"IT'S DODGING THE BEAMS, NOW! I DON'T KNOW -ARGH!" Sukotto was slammed to the ground by the Card, who brought up its two fists to deliver a devastating back breaker.

"FIGHT! LET'S GO!" Sakura ran up behind the Fight, facing Sukotto. The Card instantly turned its attention to Sakura, and the barrier began to reform, allowing Sukotto to escape. Before the Fight could even square itself, Sasuke ran to its right.

"I'm your opponent this time." The Fight, as expected, quickly turned to Sasuke, but was then distracted by Meari, who had snuck behind it.

"YOO-HOO!" Meari brought up her fists. "FIGHT ME!" The Fight spun around, bringing up its fists as well, but the barrier had yet to catch up.

Getting the gist of the plan, Sukotto ran to the Card's left, surrounding it completely with potential challengers.

"HEY! I'M RIGHT HERE!"

"LOOK AT ME!"

"I'M ALL READY TO GO!"

"…Fight me."

From all over, the challenges were coming. The Fight began to look around with a puzzled expression, and Sukotto knew what that meant. _The Fight was made to fight fairly and with honour. Using uneven odds in battles against its created rules of engagement. Since it's so focused on improving itself, it'll drop any fight instantly if new moves can be learned from someone else. It can't choose its battles like a human, and that'll be its downfall!_

"CLEAR!" Saimon called out from the side. Sukotto checked over, where he saw his friend glowing with blue light. His swords were crossed in an "X" at his side, and sparks were beginning to fly off them.

Following the others' movement, Sukotto dashed into the bushes, leaving Saimon as the only visible one for the Fight. It quickly found him and solidified the arena to focus in. It brought up its fists, finally ready for a real fight again.

"Alright then." Saimon tensed his entire body, and the blue aura around him grew. The stray sparks became numerous, jumping of every part of Saimon and his swords. "Let's give this a shot!"

---

_I've just gotten into the habit of writing an entire battle scene and cutting it into two chapters. I just don't like it when my chapters are too long XD._

_Don't expect me to keep updating in groups of two, though; come the next world, I'm likely to go back to singles. (Collective sigh)_

_Happy Reading!_


	40. The Lightning Blade?

"Why did you stop?" Kakashi asked Saimon.

Saimon turned to him, away from his practice target. He had been charging up his mana, but had stopped and brought his swords to the rest position. He looked to Kakashi. "I don't think I got it right. My energy got all blue, but it wouldn't shoot out into the Blade."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "This surprises you? The jutsu won't be the same thing for the two of us, obviously."

"Why not?! I won't be able to use the Lightning Blade?!"

Kakashi shook his head. "No, you will definitely be able to use it, but it may work in a different way. You see," he continued, walking to Saimon and showing him his hands, "I use my hands as the exit point for my chakra. You however, have your swords that are absorbing the energy you put out. You'll need to figure out how to unleash the Blade by using your swords as a medium."

Saimon looked at Ryuukiba and Hebishippo. "So… that's going to make the jutsu different?"

Kakashi nodded. "Jutsu aren't meant to be used in one particular way, nor is any skill you could ever learn. It is your responsibility as the user of that skill to explore its possibilities, to uncover the true potential. If you can do that, the jutsu will take on the form that you give it, and you can create something that belongs solely to you."

Saimon gripped his swords tighter. "Alright. I'll try again."

---

_The Lightning Blade's beam is fast, but the flash it gives off at the start would alert the Card, just like it did for me. It could dodge it, and I can't charge it up a second time, like Kakashi-sensei. I need to make it even faster…_

The arena's barrier fitted around him, and he knew he had a decision to make.

_What do you think? Ryuukiba… Hebishippo?_

_Lightning… it moves fast… You must move fast, and we will strike._

Saimon groaned._ Always with the poetry. But it gave me an idea. _Saimon focused his energy around his body. _Move most of it to my feet_. At his command, the aura in his legs collected at the bottom of his sandals, causing them to shine with blue light. _Send the energy in my left side to Hebishippo…_ The sword began to sparkle with electricity. _The other side, to Ryuukiba. _The two swords were now vibrating, occasionally sparking a bolt in between each other.

Saimon looked up. The Fight had assumed its starting position. It seemed hesitant to attack. _Smart Card._

"_Ryuukiba! Be as lightning, striking fast and without warning! Hebishippo! Be as thunder, striking after lightning with your might!_" Saimon brought the swords up.

The Fight made up its mind, racing at Saimon with its hand outstretched, ready to stop whatever it was he was doing.

"_STORM CANNON!_"

Saimon bolted forward, a single step carrying him the entire width of the arena. Sukotto had barely seen it, but Ryuukiba had slashed into the Fight's side as he passed, sending a cloud of electricity flying from the point of impact. The Card was given no rest, however, as Saimon turned on a dime and swung Hebishippo into the air. Acting almost like a lightning rod, the sword gathered all the electricity crackling in the air around the swordsman and fired it in a compressed beam of blue light. The force hit the Card while it was still recovering from the initial blow.

All this happened in a matter of seconds, and if Sukotto hadn't been sure of what he saw, he might've thought he had imagined it.

---

"Looks like it's done for." Sukotto walked up to the Fight Card, which was lying on the ground, completely unmoving. "I think you killed it."

Saimon was also on the ground, using Hebishippo to prop himself up. "Well, I almost killed myself. I say an eye for an eye."

Meari ran up to Saimon. "Good job, Sai-kun! That was COOL!" She made to glomp him, but Saimon waved her off.

"The last thing I need right now is to change into a pudgy dragon."

Sukotto laughed, turning to the Card. "Alright, let's go." He raised his staff to waist level.

"_Return to the form you were meant to be in;_

_SAKURA CARD!_"

The Card quickly dissolved and transformed into the pink Card. Sukotto made to grab the Card, but it flew from his hands and glided over to Saimon instead.

"What's this?" Saimon grabbed the Card.

"Oh, well, I guess you were the one who defeated the Card." Sukotto shrugged. "The Card doesn't automatically go the person who seals it. Whoever defeats it or reveals its true form will usually be given ownership of it. I guess that means you own that one."

Saimon raised an eyebrow. "I can't really use it, you know. Can I give it to you?" Sukotto nodded. "Well, I didn't get you a birthday gift last year, so there you go."

Sukotto smiled. "Thanks!" He took the Card from Saimon's hands and stowed it in his pocket.

Meari pulled Saimon to his feet. "You gonna be okay?"

Saimon nodded. "I just need to eat something. I'll be fine."

Sukotto laughed. "That's Saimon-kun for you." He turned to the other two. "Let's stick together. Maybe we'll find Naruto-kun further in."

Sakura agreed and Sasuke gave his usual nod. Coming over to help Meari support Saimon, Sukotto started the group into motion, continuing the journey to the Tower.

---

_OMG I have Omake for you today! WOOT!_

_This one is a little more story-line based than the others before it; basically, it's a sneak peak into the next world we'll be going into. Can you figure out which one it'll be?_

_---_

_OMAKE:_

_The Un-Chronicled Adventures of Red and Blue: Chapter One_

Red looked around the crowded market street, shielding his eyes against the setting sun. "I really like this world. We fit right in, don't we?"

Blue nodded. "'Cept we don't have spiky hair." He checked himself over. "We don't have any hair… Why don't we have hair, Red? It's not fair! I wanna get a cool do like that guy, there!"

Red was searching the road. "Because dragons would look stupid with hair. Duh." He nudged his brother. "Come on, help me look. There's gotta be some place that we can swindle some food from."

Blue sighed. "That's what else I like about being with Sukotto-kun. We didn't have to steal anything! I don't want to eat stolen things anymore!" His stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly.

Red laughed. "Yeah, whatever. I'll just eat it all myself, and you can sit with your empty tummy and watch me."

Blue whined. "But Red!"

"Relax, Blue, we'll… uh… borrow it, for a little bit. We'll pay the donor back later." His expression changed into that of victory. "There we go!"

A hooded figure was walking at a brisk pace down the street. The crowd in the person's way quickly stepped to the side as he/she passed. "People only part like that for really important people, so he must be loaded! See that pocket on the robe? It's full of something. My guess; money or food!"

"Last time you said that, it was a bag of marbles. We almost got shish-kebab'd."

Red waved it off. "Last time it was ten times more crowded than this street! Trust me!" He turned to his brother, who heaved another sigh and nodded. "Right, let's go!

The two took off after the person, in the direction of the tall palace near the square.

---

They arrived at a large moat, the castle wall- and an obvious dead end- ahead of them.

"I was sure he went this way." Red began to snoop around the moat. "Maybe there's some secret passage thingy; they always have 'em in the books."

Blue squinted towards the source of the moat; a large floodgate in the wall, its heavy iron bars blocking out access. "How about that?"

Red took a quick look. "It should work. You remember Team Attack Number 12?"

"We only have 11 Team Attacks, Red."

"Well, this is a new one. You just have to know a few things about metal and stuff. It's all in the Kemi-stree."

"Kemi-stree?"

"Yup. It's for smart people like me to understand. Here's the plan…" Red quickly explained the basic idea of the attack, and Blue nodded in understanding.

"Alright then, let's give it a shot." Red ran over to the gate, Blue waddling in behind him. "_TEAM ATTACK!_" The brothers high-fived, causing a red and blue aura to expand and mingle around them.

Red jumped forward, exhaling a large chain of fire towards the gate. The tongue of flame wrapped around the iron, spinning faster and faster around it until the bars of the gate glowed red hot. Blue was next, unleashing a blizzard upon the superheated iron. It was instantly cooled, causing the metal to weaken and become brittle. The brothers then rejoined hands. Blue curled his body into a ball, extending his arms in a Superman position. Taking his brother in both arms and raising him above his head, Red cried out, "_Fist of Armour Break!_" He flung Blue at the wall.

With a satisfying crash, a large hole opened up in the gate, a slightly dizzy Blue holding on to its remains against the current.

"You okay, Blue?"

"Y-Y-Yeah. I hit my head on one of the bars, and I have a lot more fingers than I thought I did…"

"Yeah, you're fine. Start swimming."

---

Once inside the castle, the Dragons began to ascend the brick walls of the palace, Red sharp on the lookout for guards, Blue's nose searching for the slightest scent of food. It was then they heard the voice, coming from a balcony above them.

"...do it, everyone's going to be in a lot of danger! I don't think there's a way around it!" It was a female's voice.

A second girl replied with some exasperation. "But it's stupid! Do you think giving yourself up like that is going to solve anything?! It'll just keep coming back once it has you; it won't stop just because it promised!"

Blue tugged on Red's tail. "Red, I smell some bread or something from that window! Let's go!"

Red shushed him with a finger. "Quiet, Blue! I'm trying to listen!"

Blue gave him a reproachful look. "Red, you shouldn't spy on people! It's not nice!"

Red rolled his eyes. "Neither is stealing food, dummy."

"You said we were just borrowing it!"

"SHHH!" Red turned back to the conversation.

"… I've already decided, Roren. Please don't make this harder than it has to be."

They heard a groan, followed by the shuffling of robes. "Look." There was a pause. "It's _his_. He's on his way, with Meari and the idiot redhead.

The first girl had no response. Blue and Red exchanged surprised glances. They were talking about Sukotto, Saimon and Meari!

The second girl, Roren, as she had been called, continued. "Do you have any idea what would happen if he found out you were dead? _A great service to the people_? That wouldn't justify it." There was another shuffle.

"He… he's alive? He's coming? Everyone's okay?" The first girl was excited by this news. "Oh… good… I'm glad…" Another pause. "But it's too late. The ceremony's tomorrow, and I've already been Imprinted. There's nothing we could do about it, even if I were to change my mind."

Roren almost screamed. "What is wrong with you?! You're just going to give up? You're being an idiot! I refuse to do that, Jeshika! I'm not going to be the one to break the news to them!" There was a pause. "I'm going to destroy the altar. Tonight."

Jeshika gasped. "You can't! Roren, don't! That's-"

"What? Are you going to call the guards on me? Send as many as you want to, _Your Highness_, it won't change anything."

"But… but you'll become a criminal! You might get put in jail!"

"I have no intention of getting caught, Jeshika. It'll at least buy some time until the Dawn. I'll hide myself. I'll wait for _him_. If I can't talk sense into you, maybe he can." With that, the Dragons jumped into the shadow of the balcony as a black-hooded figure soared from the window above and disappeared into the night.

"What was that all about?" Blue turned to Red, his voice still whisper. "How do those people know Sukotto-kun and everyone?"

Red thought. "Maybe they're… one of his friends? He said they were all over the worlds, right?"

Blue smiled. "Yeah! That means two more of them are okay… I think. That Jeshika girl… it sounds like…"

Red nodded. "Something's not right. I'm gonna call Saimon-kun and tell him." His hand hovered over the ring, but he did not activate it. "Well, maybe it can wait. That smell is driving me nuts. Let's go eat!"

Blue rolled his eyes. "Now you want to go." He followed Red down towards the window, but stopped. The Jeshika girl was talking again, softly.

"Sukotto-kun… If I could just see you… one more time…" He heard a quiet sob. "I'm sorry… I'm so selfish."

---

I thought I left a few pretty obvious ones in there XD Maybe I made it too easy.

Well, whatever. The main purpose of this was to get a reaction from Jeshika... I wanna make sure I have her character down for when we meet her (for those of you who forgot, she's next!)

Jeshika: Hey! You made me out to be all kind and nice again!

Skittles: Um... News flash, Jes, you are.

Jeshika: No I'm not! I'm evil! Pure evil, I tell you!"

Skittles: Pft. Yeah, right. You wouldn't hurt a fly.

Jeshika: NOT TRUE! Fake kick to Skittles's knee

Skittles: (Grabs at knee) OW, THAT REALLY HURT!

Jeshika: OMG! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY I DIDN'T MEAN FOR IT TO HURT!

Skittles: (Let's go of knee) See? I told you.

Jeshika: NOT FAIR! I'M EVIL! DARKNESS AND FIRE! ASH AND BRIMSTONE!

Skittles: Yeah, whatever, Jes.

_Actual conversation. XD_


	41. Battle at the Tower

_My, I was productive this weekend. Three new chapters! Go me!_

_Enjoy!_

_---_

It reached far above their heads, a giant amongst giants of the Forest trees. It was far thicker than the trees as well, measuring 30-plus meters on every side. Black clouds swirled malevolently at its tip, occasionally striking the tower with a bolt of lightning. Two large, wooden double-doors stood closed at the front, and not a light was visible within it.

The group had reached the Tower, but they didn't feel any better off.

"Should we go in?" Sukotto turned to the group. "It could be a trap."

Meari shrugged. "Somehow, I don't think we're leaving the Forest unless we do."

Sasuke nodded in agreement.

Sakura explained. "This is where the darkness and the Loop trap came from. It's likely that the source of the trap is in here."

Saimon chipped in. "So, we stop the source and the cloud goes away?"

Sukotto nodded. "If it _is_ a spell, even if someone's using the Cards, if we…disable the caster, everything should turn back to normal."

The swordsman understood. "Then, let's get it over with. The faster we get out of here, the better."

With that, he bravely walked forward, pushed open the doors, and walked inside, the rest of the group following suit.

---

They came into a large arena. On either side of them, a small balcony was suspended on the second floor, with stairs on the side leading up to them. Directly in front, a statue depicting two hands in a Hand Sign towered above them. As they entered, they got a new respect for the height of the tower; the roof of the room wasn't even visible. In the centre of the room, completely unmoving, lay-

"Naruto-kun!" Sakura ran forward, but Sukotto grabbed onto her arm.

"It'll be a trap, without a doubt." He turned to the others. "Any ideas?"

Meari looked to Sukotto. "Can we get some light?"

Sukotto nodded. "_Grant us light in the darkness! SHINE!_" Small orbs of light popped into existence around Sukotto. They grouped at the corners of the room, growing large and eventually covering the dark floor with a warm light.

The group squinted around the area. There were no tripwires within view, no flaws in the wall that might give away a hiding shinobi. Sasuke did a sweep of the room with the Sharingan, turning to the rest of the group to give an all-clear.

Sakura cautiously walked forward to Naruto. She bent down beside him and shook his shoulder gently. "Naruto-kun?"

No response.

"Naruto-kun! Wake up! Come on!" Sakura shook more vigorously. "Please!"

The group held their breath. Naruto still lay unmoving.

"Naruto-kun! Naruto-kun!"

A small sound escaped him. It sounded like the muffled growl of some wild beast.

Sakura leaped to her feet. "N-N-Naruto-kun?"

Naruto opened his eyes.

"GRUUUUUAAAHHHH!" He leapt at Sakura with unbelievable speed, his fingernails having grown into large, sharp claws. The kunoichi was struck in the face, and was sent hurtling to the opposite wall with tremendous force.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Meari made to move towards her, but Naruto slid between the two.

He had changed considerably. His hair was a matted mess on his head, his hitai-ate hanging lopsidedly on his forehead. He had dropped onto all fours, his hands having grown large claws from his fingernails. A fiery aura surrounded him, he was drooling slightly, and his once bright blue eyes were now blood-red and full of rage.

"Naruto-kun… what… what happened to you?"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Could it be… is this…?"

Meari nodded. "The demon sealed inside of Naruto! It's controlling him!"

Naruto snarled at the group. His voice ragged and wild, he choked out the words with difficulty. "Kill… them… kill… all." His growls came out in short gasps, resembling sick laughter.

Saimon drew his swords. "We have to fight!"

"But we can't! That's still Naruto-kun!"

Saimon spoke, not turning his gaze from Naruto. "He's not going to hesitate to attack us! If someone finds a way to get him calmed down, then great. If not…" Saimon spoke through gritted teeth, "…then we don't have a choice."

Sukotto raised his staff. "Naruto-kun wouldn't want to live like this. Would you?"

Meari bit her lip, and then looked to Sakura. The kunoichi was leaning against the wall, coughing up a large amount of blood. A nasty gash had opened up on her face. She imagined, for a moment, that Sakura was Sukotto, or Saimon, and she shuddered at the thought that it might've been her…

She drew a kunai. "I wouldn't want that, either." She turned to Naruto. "Naruto-kun! I won't let you hurt anyone else! I promise!" She flung a steady stream of kunai at Naruto. "No matter what!'

Naruto began leaping back, avoiding each kunai as it stuck the ground. He ran to a wall and began to run parallel to the floor. He jumped off, aiming his claw-like fingernails at Meari.

Sasuke came in from the side, knocking Naruto to the side with a high-jump kick. Naruto landed and his hands at the other wall, flipping onto the floor- right into the path of an incoming chain.

It wrapped around his wrist. Naruto pulled at it, and, with super human strength, pulled the chain over, a swordsman flying with it. Saimon brought Ryuukiba out as he was flung towards Naruto. Sensing the attack, Naruto brought up Saimon's own chain in front of him. The blade hit metal, and sparks flew as Saimon fought against the ninja's new found strength.

"_Hebishippo! Expand and defend! I reject!_" The chain in Naruto's hand quickly dissolved into a mist-like aura, and Ryuukiba fell right through it, slashing through Naruto's extended arm in the process.

Naruto howled in pain, retreating his injured arm as Saimon back-stepped away from him. The group took this opportunity to run to Sakura, forming a protective circle around her. Naruto cried, clutching his arm, his body convulsing and twitching.

"Something's not right!" Meari watched as Naruto began to scream, his eyes bulging.

Saimon cringed. "What's wrong with him?! Did I hurt him that bad?!"

Sukotto looked at Naruto. "No…" A flash of mana erupted from Naruto's body, and the convulsing was subdued a bit. "He's fighting the demon! He's waking up!"

At that, Naruto spoke again, his voice less wild than it had been before. "Weaken… too much chakra…" At that, with some difficulty, Naruto wrenched his hand to his jacket. He pulled up the bottom part, revealing a red-hot seal imprinted on his stomach. "Here…"

"That's… that's the seal for the demon!" Sakura told the group. "But we can't seal something so powerful! That's jônin level jutsu!"

Meari looked at the seal. "Naruto is still in there… Could we give him an opportunity to take back control?"

Sukotto thought. "That could work. If we could break the demon's strength for just a second, Naruto would probably be able to force it back into submission."

Sakura nodded. "So… we fight?"

Sasuke nodded, turning his head to Sukotto, who returned the glance. "Teamwork, right?"

Naruto's convulsions stopped, and the wild look in his eyes returned. He stared at the group with a rabid expression. "Kill… all of you…" He licked his lips, flexing his clawed hands out at his sides.

"Alright! Let's go!"

Sukotto brought out a pink Card.

_Card mastered by Sakura,_

_I ask thee to discard thy former self_

_And reincarnate_

_Under the name_

_OF YOUR NEW MASTER SUKOTTO!_

Naruto blasted forward, bringing his right arm back for an attack. Paying no mind to him, Sukotto struck the Card.

_Under our new contract,_

_I grant you the name:_

_COMBAT!_

Naruto reached out to slash Sukotto's front-

-and was blown back by Sakura's punch.

"Alright!" Sakura smiled, her feet glowing blue with chakra.

Sukotto stepped forward. His attire had changed slightly; his hitai-ate was glowing with a pale blue light. On his wrists, bands glowed with the same light, and his ankles sported similar gear. He clenched a fist, his staff having disappeared.

"I won't be able to use any other Cards with this one." Sukotto turned to Sasuke. "So it won't be as easy as last time,"

Sasuke made his trademark "tch" sound, and ran to Naruto. As the ninja shook his head to clear the dizziness caused by Sakura's punch, Sasuke leaped over his head, landed behind him, and gave him a quick kick to the back.

Naruto flew forward, straight to Sukotto. Mirroring Sasuke's moves exactly, Sukotto swung his foot around and knocked Naruto in a diagonal path upwards. As he sailed through the air, Sasuke ran at the same wall, kicked off it, and rose into the air. He intercepted Naruto in front of the wall and gave him a swift uppercut, sending Naruto straight up. Sasuke continued to the opposing wall, digging a kunai into it to stop.

On the other side, Sukotto had come up the wall in the same fashion. Seeing his cue, Sukotto kicked off the wall and flew towards Naruto, sending him even higher with another uppercut. He laughed as Sasuke repeated the move. "Naruto-kun! It's just another game of Leapfrog!"

The two continued, sending Naruto higher and higher, eventually reaching the roof. Both of the ninja stayed on the wall as Naruto reached the height of his path. Together, they pushed off at the same time, each aiming for the space just above Naruto. As he finally slowed to a stop and began to change direction, Sukotto grabbed Sasuke's hands and flipped him in a giant crescent moon above him. Sasuke extended a leg and, at the bottom of the circle, cried out "BARRAGE OF THE MOON!" His foot hit Naruto at maximum velocity, sending Naruto plummeting to the floor below.

---

AAAAARRRGHHH!

The demon screamed in pain. Inside his consciousness, the shinobi boy laughed triumphantly.

"You see that?! You can't hope to win against them!"

The demon laughed a wild, malicious roar. "They seem ready to kill you. Are you so sure they're your friends?"

Naruto smirked. "I'd rather die than have you control me like this." He built up his chakra, as he had done many times before, and blasted it through his body, trying to force out the demon.

_It's starting to get tired_. The demon was only just able to hold off Naruto's strength. It realised that this situation was beginning to get dangerous. "It's useless! You cannot win! You're merely a human!"

Naruto laughed. "So are the guys who are fighting you." He began to build up his chakra more. "You just wait. This is going to be my last one. And it's going to work."

"Impossible! I won't be beaten by a child!"

Naruto smirked, drawing in as much chakra as he could. "Nope. You'll be beaten by six of them."

He saw the floor rushing up beneath him. "You'd better do something; I don't think you want to die just yet."

The demon growled, but realised that the landing would not easily be survived in his current position. Laughing, he flipped in midair, turning himself onto his front, his arms and legs filling with chakra to absorb the shock. "I am not a stupid human, boy. You'd do well to-"

It was then, at the bottom of the Tower, he saw the swordsman boy, an aura of blue electricity surrounding him.

---

"Meari-chan! Now!" Saimon stood with his swords at the ready. Beneath him, a large section of the smooth tile floor had been cut from the rest of the floor. Meari stood beside him and, at his call, she slammed her hands to the floor.

"RISING DRAGON JUTSU!"

With a giant rumble, Saimon and the tile were blasted from the floor by a geyser of fire. As he flew, Saimon quickly called out the incantation. To his pleasant surprise, his mana automatically distributed itself to the appropriate places of his body, and the technique was ready to go.

"_STORM CANNON!"_

As Saimon met with Naruto in mid-air, the swordsman suddenly blasted forwards, propelled by his own mana. He sliced into Naruto's side, leaving only a shallow cut. He turned on a dime, and pointed Hebishippo to the sky. A bolt of lightning struck the boy, and he dropped to the ground, unconscious.


	42. A New Friend?

As Saimon free-fell back to the ground, he was suddenly surrounded by a pink aura, slowing his fall to a crawl. He looked up and saw Sukotto and Sasuke going down by the same means, Sukotto having lost his Combat attire and holding a glowing Glide.

The group gathered around Naruto, cautiously. He lay unmoving.

"You don't think we…?" Meari fumbled nervously with her fingers.

Saimon shook his head. "I held back a little from when we fought the Fight. I'm sure he's fine."

Suddenly, Naruto's body began to glow. He slowly lifted into the air, shimmering with a red light. It collected in front of him, spinning and churning into a small ball of light, which slowly floated to Meari. She hesitantly reached a hand out to it and touched it. The light radiated out from it, forming a kunai in Meari's hand. But the kunai was by no means ordinary; it was made of the purest topaz crystal, and glowed with the same warm light.

Naruto slowly dropped to the ground, landing on his feet. His wounds had closed up, and his bruises and scars had gone with the glow. He opened his eyes, which had thankfully returned back to their bright blue colour. He looked around at everyone, his eyes resting on Saimon. "What the hell was that?! Were you trying to kill me?!"

"I saved your life! I could've given you a much deeper cut if I had wanted to! I'm thinking that wasn't such a bad idea after all!"

"Yeah, well-"

"Boys!" Meari bonked both of them on the head. "Calm down!"

Sukotto came up to Naruto. "Naruto-kun, can you remember anything that happened before we came?"

Naruto thought for a moment. "No… but…" He rubbed his temples. "I remember things… I don't think I remembered them before…"

"What?" Sukotto cocked his head to the side.

"It's this big dark place… there are nine people… I'm looking out from eyes…that aren't mine…"

"So… ten people?"

Naruto nodded. "No, wait… There's one more… Everyone else is facing him... I'm pretty sure it's a guy… He's got a huge sword…" Naruto closed his eyes. "That's all I got…"

Saimon rolled his eyes. "You're probably just losing it."

"YOU WANNA TAKE THIS OUTSIDE?!"

"Look! Guys!" Meari pulled out the Book, interrupting the fight. It had begun to shimmer, and the light grew brighter as she put the topaz kunai close to it.

"That kunai…" Naruto stared at it. "I think it's special." He looked at Meari. "Don't lose it. I think it's important."

Meari nodded, stowing both the kunai and the Book in her backpack.

Sakura turned to the group. "Now that we have everyone, can we _please_ find a way out of here?"

Sukotto nodded. "Just one second."

He looked up to the roof of the Tower. He did sense the Illusion Card up there, but the Loop's presence was not to be found. _I guess we can capture it at the barrier, once we figure out how to cancel it_.

With that, he brought up his staff. "_Return to the guise you were meant to be in; Sakura Card!_"

The Illusion floated down from the roof. Sukotto caught it and smiled, but then frowned. He quickly broke down into a sweat. "Uh…. Oops." He smiled nervously.

"What?" Saimon looked at him.

Sukotto laughed sheepishly. "I kind of forgot to write my name on the Illusion when Kakashi-sensei gave it to me. An unsealed Card won't obey any commands given to it unless Sealed or imprinted with the name of the captor. That might be why it flew off with the Loop when I tried to transform it."

The group was silent. Sukotto waved his hand. "No harm done, though, right?" He quickly wrote his name on the Illusion, and on all of his untransformed Cards, just to be safe.

Saimon clenched his fists. "Good. Now that I know it won't happen again…" He lunged at Sukotto. "GET READY FOR THE BIGGEST BEATING OF YOUR LIFE!!!!"

The group walked through the Forest, which strangely had not reverted to its green and lively self.

Sakura looked around, and turned to Sukotto. "Sukotto-kun, I thought that the Forest looked like this because of the Illusion?"

"That's what I thought…" Sukotto stopped, looking around at the scenery. _I captured the Illusion, so why hasn't it lifted?_

"This isn't the work of the Illusion." The voice was not from one of his friends. Sukotto looked around for the source but found no one… nor did he see anyone. The others had gone ahead.

"Guys?" Sukotto called out, searching for the others, but no one answered.

"Up here, Sukotto."

Sukotto looked up. A person in a black robe stood in one of the threes, a hood drawn over the face. At first, he had thought maybe it was Roren, but the voice was different, and the cloak was not in the same style as hers had been.

"This Forest looks this way because of the Chaos surrounding it."

"Chaos? What? Who are you?"

"I'm afraid I can't give you my name just yet. Just know that I mean no harm to you, or your friends."

Sukotto looked at him. "Somehow, I'm having difficulty believing that. You won't show me your face, and you won't give me your name. That's a little suspicious."

The man laughed. "Ah, yes. You're a cautious one, Sukotto." Sukotto thought it strange that the man should feel comfortable enough to call him by his name alone. "I suspected as such. But I mean to prove my good intentions." His hand reached into his robes and he pulled out a small piece of paper. "Have this. I trust you will like it."

He threw the paper to Sukotto, who caught it and unfolded it. He gasped.

"You…"

"He's alive and well, Sukotto. He misses you terribly, but he is safe and far away from any harm or suffering. I guarantee it."

Sukotto stared at the man. "How did you know?"

He laughed. "For now, let's just say I have my sources. At any rate, I'm afraid I have other matters to attend to."

"Sukotto-kun?" Saimon's voice rang over the trees. "Make a noise or something. It seemed to work all the other times!"

The robed figure turned his back to Sukotto. "We'll meet later, Sukotto. I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Hey, wait a minute! How do we get rid of this…Chaos stuff?"

"Ah, did I forget to explain? Well, no time for that now. The kunai you received from your little fox friend will cut the Loop barrier without too much effort." With that, the man vanished in an aura of white light.

"Sukotto-kun!" Saimon called again. "Come on, already. Don't make me go back after you."

"Yeah, coming!" Sukotto looked towards the direction of Saimon's voice. _They wouldn't believe me if I told them._

He looked back at the piece of paper he had been given. _He's alright…_

It was a photo. On it, a small boy of roughly 12 years smiled, a shock of untidy black hair falling down to his eyes.

_Bobi-kun…_

---

"Alright!" The group had reached the Loop barrier. Meari turned to the group. "Any bright ideas?"

Saimon brought up his swords. "I'll try Storm Cannoning it!"

Sukotto raised an eyebrow. "You could try that… but maybe that kunai we got will do something?"

Meari dug it out of her bag. "Worth a shot. We'll try it before Sai-kun exhausts himself." She walked over to the barrier. "HYAHH!" She slashed at the barrier.

Like it was butter, the barrier sliced at Meari's cut. A red line tore open from the cut, extending all the way to the Tower. With the sound of breaking glass, the entire barrier shattered around them. The illuminated red line collected in front of the group, forming into a red ribbon.

Sukotto raised his staff. "_Return to the form you were meant to be in-"_

"And stay that way!"

"­_-Sakura Card!_"

The Loop returned itself into a Card, and flew to Meari's hands. She tossed it back to Sukotto. "It was your idea, so I'll give it to you… this time!" She winked.

Sukotto smiled. Saimon, wasting no time, snatched the Card out of Sukotto's hands, took a pen and wrote "Sukotto!" in bold letters on the Card. "There!" He slapped the Card back onto Sukotto's hands and snarled at it.

"Now, we just have a nice jog through leech infested forest, and we're home free!" The group groaned.

"Um… guys?" Sakura pointed to a group of Black Ops agents coming towards them. "Scratch that."

---

_Oh, look! Suspicious character alert! (FYI, I swear, it isn't Roren-chan XD)_

_We're finally out of there. You can all breathe now..._

_I'm too tired to be funny right now. If you want wittiness and fatigue, I'll go find Remikku-chan. _

_She's a riot when she's sleep deprived._

_Happy Reading!_


	43. Naruto World: Episode Complete!

The inn seemed far too quiet. Sukotto was half-expecting a team of hostile shinobi to come from behind the walls and threaten their lives with some new trap or jutsu. Indeed, while the group was finally able to relax, it was difficult to even sit without stiff muscles complaining.

"This is…weird." Saimon looked around. "It feels like the test was so long ago, but everything's still so sore…" He looked at the bandages that covered a good part of his body. "The whole transition of it. It's just…"

"-unnatural." Meari agreed. "We've been running and fighting all day, and now we're safe and sound in a bedroom. It's weird."

Sukotto stretched tentatively, wincing as his injuries suddenly came into full feeling. "Well, I guess it's something we'll have to get used to. If we're going to go through all these other worlds, battle and moments like this are going to be coming and going all the time."

Meari sighed. "I'm all shaky and sore. I need to do something to help me unwind."

Saimon looked at her with a worried expression. "But not anything physical, right?" Meari laughed, and nodded. "Well… how about you write something?"

The two others looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What?" Saimon shrugged his shoulders. "At Xian, the Wise One told me that getting your thoughts on paper frees them from the body. It works pretty well when you need to relax."

Sukotto looked to Meari. "Yeah, why not? I mean, this whole adventure was started because we wanted to write a story, right? Why don't we write our own adventures in the Book?"

Meari thought. "Yeah, I like that idea. That way, when we find someone else, we can just give them the story to read so that we don't have to explain it all."

"I guess you're first, then. Write about everything that happened in this world, and Sukotto and I can fill in everything you weren't there to see."

Meari nodded. "Okay!" She pulled the Book from her back pack, and placed it on the table. "I'll read aloud as I write."

The Story: Entry 1 by Meari.

Naruto World.

_Sukotto and Saimon entered this world using a Tear they found in Saimon's world. They fell to the ground, where I found them both snoozing away (not that I'm surprised to those boys sleeping, they did it all the time in class.)_

"Yeah, well, when you sleep you grow, Meari-chan."

_When they woke up, we finally got to talk. I told them that I had become a ninja at Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I also showed them this Book; it had come with me into this world._

_When the boys touched the Book, their names appeared on the list where we had originally written our names. We figured out that the order we wrote our names in would be the order that we (or rather, the Book,) would find everybody else. But that wasn't the only thing we discovered; when I hug the boys, they turn into cute little dragons! We had some fun with that one!_

"You mean, _you_ had some fun with that one."

_After we collected ourselves (and the boys collected the clothes they dropped when they transformed), we headed over for the boys to meet Kakashi-sensei, my squad captain. He told the boys about the Chûnin exams, the tests I would take in order to raise my rank from a genin to a more advanced chûnin. The boys wanted to come with me and cheer me on, but Kakashi-sensei said they wouldn't be able to get in to Hayashigakure (the host village) without Academy certification._

_Since they wanted to come, they accepted and passed the Academy test-_

"-with no help from Meari-chan."

"I'm starting to wonder if she maybe didn't want us to go with her. That'd explain why she wouldn't let us win."

"Oh! You got me, Sai-kun!"

_-and started off on our journey, with my other cell members (Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke)._

_After the first night, we began some training to get us ready for the test. Sakura and I had to spar in order to increase our strength, while Sasuke and Sukotto had to try and find Naruto in his doppelganger technique._

_Sai-kun had it the worst, however. Kakashi used him for Lightning Blade target practice, and he came back to camp all bloodied up and about to-_

"Sniff!"

"Aww, Meari-chan, are you crying?"

"NO! Something's itching on my nose!"

"Is it itching your eyes, too?"

"Stupid Baka-suke…"

…_well, anyway, you get the idea. So, thanks to some support by Blue and Red, he got all better (unfortunately)._

"Pft. Wasn't what you said earlier."

"I'm thinking of a nickname for you, too. How about, "'Naruto Jr.'-kun?"

_We had a bit of a nasty surprise up ahead. Roren appeared out of nowhere and challenged us to a fight. We sort of lost, and she took Sukotto's Libra Card before he could transform it. She vanished, and we didn't see her after that._

_That night, training got underway early due to Sukotto's… enthusiasm. He and Sasuke were able to defeat Naruto through some cool team work, and Sukotto learned to use his Staff as a weapon_

_Saimon learned the names of his swords (Ryuukiba "Dragon's Fang" and Hebishippo "Serpent's Tail.") He used his newfound strength to defeat Kakashi (sort of), and got ready to learn the Lightning Blade!_

_A few days later, we-_

"Hey, I don't think you ever told us what happened with _your _training session that night."

"Oops. Can't remember. Oh well."

"She did something she wasn't supposed to, probably."

"We'll have to drill her later."

"So suspicious, boys. It was nothing, really."

_-arrived at Hayashigakure, where we met some of the other teams. Also, we learned that Sukotto and Saimon would have to participate in the exams if we were to have the required teams of three. So, they entered with me, and we got to the building and the exam without too much difficulty._

"Let's maybe skip the whole Loop trap ordeal."

"Stupid Neji… using the Evil Eye in Poker…"

_Using some interesting methods including astral projection, Sukotto's tendancy to obey any order a girl gives to him (he has to, for some reason), and an interestingly disguised Blue and Red, we passed the paper exam and headed into the second phase, saying goodbye to the Dragons before doing so._

_The Second Phase of the exam consisted of running through the Forest of Death to retrieve a Scroll from the central tower. Not even an hour into the exam, he got attacked by a group of shinobi and a giant stampede of blood-sucking leeches. We escaped them, because they gave up and fled after a while._

_Then things got weird. Sukotto's Cards flew off to the Tower, creating some sort of field around the Forest. We fell asleep when this "dark field" came over us, and when we woke up, the Forest looked dead and a lot more spooky._

"Did you want to write about your dream, Sukotto-kun?"

He shook his head, feeling as though it wouldn't be a good idea to share it. "No, it's fine."

_Since a loop trap was stopping us from leaving, we had to go towards the Tower. On the way, we encountered both Sakura and Sasuke, each being attacked by a Sakura Card, which Sukotto captured._

"Hey, I did most of the work with Fight!"

"Yeah, yeah. We all know, Sai-kun."

_We finally arrived at the Tower. Inside, we found Naruto lying unconscious. When we tried to wake him up, he turned on us. The demon inside him had been partially unsealed, causing it to take over Naruto's body. Using a combination of Sasuke and Sukotto's "Barrage of the Moon," my "Rising Dragon" jutsu and Sai-kun's "Storm Cannon," we were able to bring Naruto back into control._

_After the fight, something came of out of Naruto's body. It turned out to be a kunai made of pure topaz, which the Book began reacting to. At roughly the same time, Naruto began to remember things, things he was sure he had never experienced before. He recalled, as he said, "a big dark place with ten people, facing a man with a big sword." While I decided not to use the kunai battle, it did come in handy by breaking the Loop barrier and restoring the Forest to normal._

"If you can call the Forest normal."

_The remainder of the Chûnin exams was cancelled. I guess they were afraid of someone trying to repeat the whole "dark field" incident. We and Naruto's cell were released, and we returned to the inn, where we met back up with Kakashi-sensei. He didn't seem too surprised to learn that that we had survived the whole thing._

"That guy isn't surprised about anything."

_After relaxing a bit, we decided to being writing in the Book all our adventures in…_

"What was this place called? Like, all the worlds together?"

Sukotto thought for a moment. "It was that word that meant Ending… Owari."

"Right." She wrote in _Owari_, and closed the Book. "There, I feel a lot more relaxed now. Thanks, Sai-kun!"

Saimon wasn't paying attention. He was staring at the Book. "Why do none of _you_ ever notice when the Book's glowing?"

The two snapped their heads back. The Book had indeed begun to glow. Rather, one page was shining out from behind its cover. Meari opened up the page. Next to her writing, a picture was forming.

"I didn't realize we were making a picture book." Sukotto commented as the image began to come into focus.

"Hey… that's in Konohagakure!" The picture showed a large mountain, with four formidable faces carved into its side. At the base of the mountain, directly under the last carving, a piece of the mountain was coloured differently than the rest. As the group looked at it, the picture began to shimmer at that place, with a strange light that Sukotto and Saimon recognized.

"A Tear! The Book's showing us how to get to the next world!"

"Handy little thing, huh?"

The gang looked at each other. Meari got up. "Do you know what I was doing before you guys came along?" The boys shook their heads. "I was waiting. I was hoping for a sign, a way home. I was waiting for someone to come get me. I thought it was the best thing to do; stay in one place, like a little girl who lost her mom in a grocery store."

She closed the Book. "That isn't the best thing to do. I'm through waiting for things to sort themselves out. I won't wait for a sign anymore. This time, I'm going out to find one." Meari turned to the boys. "So, let's go. Maybe the others are looking for us, too."

The group nodded. Saimon raised a hand. "Yeah, could we maybe just wait until tomorrow before we run off again? I don't know about you two, but I _do_ need to sleep."

They all laughed. "Yeah, let's turn in and get an early start tomorrow. It'll be a long trip back to Konohagakure."

"Early start? You wish. I'm going straight t'il noon."

"Then we'll just drag you in the dirt the entire way!"

_Two weeks, no sleep for Sai-kun, and a bit of sparring later, we arrived at Konohagakure, my home for the last year. It was hard to say good-bye, especially for some of the others…_

"I swear! Next time, you're going down! Believe it!

"Yeah?! When you see me again, you'll wish you had brought a second pair of pants!

"Aw, it's so cute. They're already missing each other so much!"

"I'M NOT MISSING HIM AT ALL!"

"I'M NOT MISSING HIM AT ALL!"

"Be safe! Come back when you can!" Sakura hugged Meari. "Don't leave me with the stupid boys."

"Good luck with…" Meari's voice trailed off, she shot a look at Sasuke and the two instantly began to giggle amongst themselves.

"Bye, Sasuke-kun! Nice working with you!"

Sukotto's greeting was returned with a nod, as he had anticipated. _I'll take that as a "Take care."_

Ino slowly walked up to Saimon. "Umm…. So, if you're ever around again, look me up, okay?"

"Y-Y-Yeah, sure thing."

"Okay!" Ino winked. "Don't leave me hanging too long; Sasuke-kun's always here!" She skipped off, humming to herself.

"She's incorrigible." Sukotto patted a fuming Saimon on the back.

Kakashi stepped forward. He pointed to his hitai-ate. "This is more than just a graduation symbol. As long as you have this, the gates of Konohagakure will be opened for you at anytime. You are friends of this village eternally." He put his hands together and bowed. "I wish you luck on your journey."

The three returned his bow. "Good-bye, Sensei!"

Simultaneously, the three turned. Sukotto reached out his hand, touching the smooth surface of the mountain. It melted away from his hand, revealing a shining barrier of light. The Tear.

Meari's hand shot to Sukotto's. He said nothing, but squeezed it reassuringly. Saimon took Meari's other hand, and she blushed slightly.

She closed her eyes, and Sukotto knew what that meant. He smiled, turning his head back to the glowing mountain wall before them.

A step forward, a flash of light, and they had disappeared into the Tear.

The next world awaited their arrival more desperately than they knew.

---

_And just like that, Naruto world comes to a close! I know a few people who are very happy to hear that..._

_Especially since I promised them it would be done A HELLUVALOTTA CHAPTERS AGO!_

_We only have OONNNEE more entry in the book, and it's off to-_

_Meari: DON'T GIVE IT AWAY, BAKA-SUKE!_

_Sukotto: You can't call him that! I'm Baka-suke!_

_Meari: Breaks into fits of laughter You are, aren't you?_

_Saimon: Walked right into that one._


	44. Secret Entry 1

_Sukotto's Secret Entry #1: Naruto World_

_I'm writing this in a few pages I tore from the back of the Book. Maybe, when this is all done, I'll be able to show the others what I've written on them. But for now, things are a little too personal to be sharing._

_The reason I'm writing this is bnecause there is a little more to Meari-chan's entry than what was written down. I saw a few things she and Saimon-kun didn't..._

_It began when we entered the Forest. When the dark field hit us, I passed out, falling asleep when no one else did. In this state, I had a… dream. If you can call it that._

_I saw a little boy, wrapped in a dark cloak, running through a dark abyss. He was crying for help, unable to remember anything about himself. He was all alone, without anyone in the surrounding darkness to help him._

_Suddenly, I appeared before him, a ghostly image of my younger self. Around us, my friends, also younger, appeared as well. They were replaying scenes from my memories, as though from a projector. The boy and I talked, and I that this was all just a dream, and that he would be lost forever if he didn't wake up soon. The boy began to remember his name, and the darkness was filled with light._

_My dream ended there. But my entry doesn't._

_Returning from the Tower, I met up with another black-cloaked figure, this one older than the boy in my dreams. While he would not give me his name, nor allow me to see his face, he assured me that he meant my friends and I no harm. As proof of his "good intentions," he gave me a picture of my brother. I was told that Bobi was alive, healthy, and in relative safety. He also told me that the "dark field" around the Forest was actually "Chaos." I don't know what that is, but I didn't get the feeling it was a good thing. _

_I don't know what to make of him. It's easy to say that he was lying, but somehow, I know that isn't a possibility. I have no idea where that certainty is comnig from, but it's there._

_At any rate, I haven't I've seen the last of him, either. I can't even describe this feeling I have. It's not like a gut instinct or even a matter of questioning: I _will_ see him again. I know it as though it were a solid, proven fact._

_And the dreams… Well, I like the idea of never having to have one like that again…_

_But, again, I happen to know that those aren't done with, either._


	45. A Change of Pace, A Change of Clothes

_I AM SO SORRY!!_

_I NEED TO DEDICATE A WHOLE PAGE TO HOW TERRIBLY SORRY I AM FOR NOT UPLOADING IN... TWO MONTHS?! DEAR EMILY, WHY?!_

_And at such an exciting moment, too!_

_XD I was FORCED to go to the Family Cabin for the ENTIRE SUMMER, nearly. And then I had CALM work to do... Rocky Horor Pictureshow to watch... The Time Warp to practice..._

_It was a whole complicated mess. But we're back (for those of you who hadn't lost faith, I thank you.) We even have two chapters! YAY!_

_Without further ado, please return to your abnormally scheduled dose of Owari (already in progress)._

_---_

Sukotto was plunged into a void of sorts, a muffled rushing sound filling his ears. All movement around him became slow, the view hazy. He turned his head to see Saimon and Meari, both in the same sort of stasis. It was a curious feeling. They were standing perfectly still, while many shapes and lights flew past them. Sukotto tried to see anything beyond the reddish haze, but it was in vain.

_Is this… space?_

A flash of light sparked into life. Sukotto was forced to shield his eyes. He felt his movement return to normal, the rushing sound die down, and, with great relief, his feet hit solid ground.

_At least we're not falling from a mountain! _Sukotto opened his eyes.

They had landed in a large field, filled with tall, golden-yellow grass. A short mountain range could be seen far to the east (Sukotto could only assume that the sun was on its way down). In the other direction, a small town laid only an hour's walk away. The air was fresh; it reminded Sukotto of…something. He couldn't quite recall what, exactly, but he knew he had tasted this pure air before…

He looked to his companions, who were beside him, looking around. Saimon was on his knees, feeling small motion sickness from the Tear. Meari was fiddling with her dog tag, seeming to be a little nervous.

Meari noticed Sukotto's concerned glance. "It's nothing. I'm just used to being around lots of trees and all that. There aren't a lot of good places to hide or lay traps or anything."

Smiling, he held up a finger to gain her attention. With a single motion, he quickly ducked under her, yanking her feet from under her, swinging her petite form onto his shoulder.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" Meari complained.

Without a word, Sukotto bent down, letting Meari roll off his shoulder. They were completely surrounded by the tall grass, leaving their forms completely concealed.

"Oh!" Meari giggled. "A hiding spot!"

Sukotto smiled. "It's not as good as a tree, but it can be effective. Some people don't look closely enough."

Saimon's voice cut out. "Uh, when you guys are done with that, can we get moving? We have friends to find."

Sukotto got up. "Right."

Meari thought for a moment, touching a finger to her chin. "Hey, wasn't Roren-chan in the 'next world?' You think this is the one she meant?"

Sukotto shrugged. "I guess that would depend on the nature of the Tears. If each always leads to a specific world, it's likely that this is where she is-"

"-unless she managed to fly into the one we fell from, defeat a yeti and climb down Mount Fuji by herself."

Meari giggled. "Okay! So you can get your Card back, Kotto-kun!"

"Please don't bring that up."

"Yeah, he's a little pissed off about it." Saimon whispered to Meari.

"No! I'm just… frustrated." Sukotto's eyes narrowed. "Really, really, frustrated."

"Whatever you say, Baka-suke." Meari rolled her eyes. "Let's go there!" She pointed to the small hamlet in the near distance. "Maybe we can figure something out!"  
"Like what world we're in." Saimon looked around. "I don't recognise this at all."

"Hmm. Neither do I. But keep looking." Sukotto stopped, his eyes looking from Meari to Saimon. "Umm… Could I ask you both to turn around really quickly?"

Two identical puzzled expressions stared back at him.

He blushed slightly. "Well… my old clothes are more comfy than my Naruto ones."

A pause.

"EW! BAKA-SUKE!" Meari blushed, darted her front away from him, not daring to open her eyes. "Gross gross gross gross GROSS!"

Saimon's reaction was slightly different. "HAHA! I HOPE SOMEONE COMES BY AND SEES YOU CHANGING!" Chuckling to himself, he gave Sukotto the privacy he needed to change.

---

"Are you done yet?" Meari finally allowed herself to turn around after both Sukotto and Saimon had decided to change back to their original outfits (separately, of course.) They decided that, since they didn't know the clothing style of this world, it would be better to have a bit of variety, in case one of them happened to be a close match.

"This could become a problem." Sukotto said, looking at his robes, trying not to completely show the relief and comfort their presence provided. "If we have to keep buying new clothes in every world with different currencies, money's going to be tight."

Saimon was none too pleased with this news. "I remember, back home, I worked a lot… I had so much money… And now, it's all gone..." He brought a hand to his forehead, holding back the nausea of bankruptcy.

Meari patted him on the back. "Aw, cheer up, Sai-kun! Money can't buy happiness!"

"No, but it can buy video games… and food… and cool clothes…and a night at a decent inn."

"Alright, point taken." Meari huffed, bonking his head with her fist. "Let's get going! I wanna find out what world this is!"

With a resigned sigh, Saimon slowly trudged behind Meari, continuing his rather long list of all the luxuries one could buy with money.

Sukotto rolled his eyes, following his friends towards the hamlet. Despite all the mysteries and uncertainties surrounding their current situation, Sukotto couldn't help but feel that Meari was right; not even money could've made him feel happier at that moment.

"…and an iPod. You can buy an iPod with money. And good music."

_Well, perhaps a little bit of money wouldn't hurt._

_---_

_Sorry if that one wasn't up to snuff. I define the word "atrophy" in every quality known to man._

_Summer has that effect on me. Go figure._

_I promise, now that I'm back the posts should be much more frequent. I'll be really busy, but not to worry: homework isn't all THAT important!_

_Happy Reading!_


	46. And The Next World Is?

_See? SEE?! I was better this time, no? It wasn't even CLOSE to two months._

_As for my future posts, I have no idea whatsoever. Bio 20 AP homework kind of... owns my soul._

_At any rate, enjoy!_

_---_

The hamlet was extremely peaceful. Little children played in the cobblestone streets, around the dome shaped houses. A cozy-looking inn lay on their right; to their left, a convenience store. A farmer's market could be seen down the road; even farther, a field full of crops.

"Anyone think they see anything familiar?" Meari looked left and right. "I don't recognise anything."

Saimon shrugged. "Me neither. You?" He turned his head to Sukotto, who shook his.

Meari pointed to the children running around the street. "Well, there's a bit of good news; those kids are all wearing a lot of different stuff. Looks like we'll be okay in pretty much whatever we want to wear."

Sukotto sighed happily. "Good. I like my robe." He hugged himself, snuggling up to the garment. "It's so soft, and keeps me at the perfect temperature!"

Saimon merely rolled his eyes. "Right. Can we go get something to eat? The motion sickness wore off, I'm hungry, and there are lots of really good smells coming from that market."

"Sai-kun. We have no money, remember?"

Saimon was not impressed by this fact. His stomach chose that moment to growl loudly, a reminder of the delectable food he wouldn't be eating.

"You say you have no money, travellers?" A woman in the street had overheard the conversation. "If so, you'll want to head to the capital. There's plenty of jobs and the like available there."

Saimon's ears perked up. "Really?! That's great! How would we get to… the city?" He asked.

The woman pointed to the fields. "The ship should be here any moment." She seemed to pause. "Although, there've been a few fiend problems recently. I hope that old ship of Gorg's will be alright."

Sukotto cocked his head. _Fiend? Now, that one sounds familiar._

Saimon bowed deeply. "Thanks a lot!" With that, he took off to the fields, his hunger evaporating within the second.

"Should we catch up before he makes a fool of himself?" Sukotto laughed, joining Meari in her walk towards the fields.

---

"She… she said it'd be here, right?" Saimon looked around. "But… how's it supposed to get here? There's no water or anything."

Maybe it's… underground?" Meari shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe 'ship' just means a car or a carriage or something."

Saimon sat on the ground. "She said the ship would be having fiend problems, too. So… there are monsters in this world?"

"Guess so. Maybe if we give the ship some help, we won't have to pay…"

"But… fighting makes me hungry."

Sukotto laughed. "If Naruto-kun saw you right now, what would he say, I wonder?"

Saimon huffed. "He wouldn't get a word out before I ripped the vocal cords from his throat. Then maybe I'd eat them."

"SAI-KUN!" Meari punched him in the shoulder. "That's disgusting!"

"Sorry! I'm just hungry and tired and broke AND WHERE IS THE SHIP?!"

"The ship? It's nearly here; you can see it over there." The appearance of this voice was temporarily ignored, as the three looked across the field. The shadow of something was moving across the tops of the long grass. It was no small shadow, either. Rather, it was as large as a house is wide with the speed of a hawk.

"What's… that?" Meari stared at the shadow, which had begun to slow down.

Sukotto's eyes widened as he looked up His first impression was that of a giant building falling towards him. But as it moved out of the sun, its true identity was revealed. "It's…it's…"

Saimon jumped to his feet. "It's an AIRSHIP!"

"Well, of course, kupo. What other ships are there?"

The whole world seemed to stop for a moment. Sukotto slowly turned to the source of the voice; there was no mistaking the small white fuzzball with the red bauble. A pair of small bat wings and a red jelly-bean nose could only belong to-

"M-m-m-m-m-MOOGLE!!!" Sukotto grabbed the creature in his arms and hugged it tightly. "It's a Moogle! A REAL LIVE MOOGLE! It's even cuter in person! Your bauble is so fuzzy! Saimon-kun! Meari-chan! IT'S A MOOOGLE!!!" Sukotto was nearly crying.

"K-kupo?!" The moogle stared at his captor with a small amount of fear in his eyes.

Meari looked at Saimon. "This guy becomes a completely different person when a cute animal's around."

Saimon put a hand to his forehead. "Moogles do that to him, even when they're on a TV screen. He loves the things to bits. This isn't even the worst of it, though. Just you wait until we find-"

"A REAL LIVE BREATHING TALKING ADORABLE MOOGLE!"

"Can you put me down, kupo?!"

"AHH! IT SAID IT AGAIN!"

"'Kotto-kun! Can you stop tormenting that thing?! The airship's nearly here!"

"But… but… but… IT'S FUZZY!"

---

_Yupp. Final Fantasy World is next. I have been wanting to get to this for a WHILE._

_I ADORE moogles. I want one. Badly. There's a good birthday present right there. Take notes._

_I'm considering keeping that one, actually... I don't know, what do you think?_

_I'm so HYPER after writing that last bit. I need to go eat ice cream._

_Happy Reading!!_


	47. Aboard the Julis

_Ahhhh!! I'm sorry! Evil Skittles made me do it! He wouldn't leave me alone! I had to! It wasn't my choice!_

_LOL For those of you wondering what I'm talking about, you might've missed the little joke I pulled earlier. Don't worry: I left it as an Omake XD_

_At any rate, this chapter is much longer and more action-y than the last one, so there you go. I'd divide it into two if I wasn't so desperate to get this up!_

_Enjoy (and don't worry: my homework level should be significantly lower now :D)_

---

"Sorry about earlier." Sukotto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I guess I did get a little… over-excited."

"It's okay, kupo. People do that all the time," replied Stlitzkin, the moogle that Sukotto had assaulted. "I suppose I should thank you, kupo. If you hadn't shown up, Gorg might not have been able to fly."

The three travelers and the creature were inside the hull of the _Julis_, an airship that transported farming goods from rural communities to the capital city, Cilicia. The captain, Gorg, had graciously accepted to take the travelers along with him, provided they kept his ship safe from fiends.

"So, do you travel often, kupo?" Stiltzkin asked.

Sukotto smiled. "Yeah, we've been on the road for a while."

"Do you have a map, kupo?"

Sukotto frowned. "No, we don't. Not of this-" A sharp look from Meari quickly stopped him. "…country."

Stiltzkin cocked his head to one side. He shrugged the hesitation off. "Well, I have an extra one. Do you want to buy it off me, kupo? 1000 gil."

Saimon sighed. "Is there no such thing as free stuff anymore?"

Stiltzkin produced the map from some unknown part of his body. "No, I'm afraid not, kupo. I need to keep myself fed."

Sukotto shook his head. "Then we can't take it. We have no money."

Stiltzkin pondered for a moment. "Tell you what…" He returned the map, and pulled out instead small slips of paper. "The reason I'm traveling to Cilicia is for the Tournament coming up, kupo. All kinds of warriors from all the countries in Finaria are coming to compete, kupo. Needless to say, there's quite a bit of money to be made in both the prize money and the gambling industry."

Saimon raised an eyebrow. "So, you want us to win the tournament?"

Stiltzkin shook his head. "That's the beauty of it, kupo! You don't even NEED to win! I'll stack up the odds and the potential winnings, and then I can bet on either you or your opponent! And if I bet on the opponent, I can just have you lose, kupo!"

Saimon grumbled. "Nice to see that you have some confidence in us."

Sukotto had a worried expression on his face. "But… wouldn't that be cheating?"

Stiltzkin shrugged. "I prefer the phrase, 'easy money.' I'll split some of the profits with you, of course! Besides," he added, turning to Saimon, "I barely even know you guys. How do I know how good you are?"

Saimon growled. "I can show you if you want me to." His hands were inching closer to his sword's handles.

"HEY! LADS! MISSIE!" A raspy voice called down from the deck. "WE HAVE TROUBLE A-COMIN'! GRAB YER WEAPONS AND GET UP HERE!"

Saimon was already on his feet. "You watch, you dumb plush toy!" He booked it up the stairs to the deck, eager to release some tension.

Meari laughed. "C'mon, Kotto-kun! We have a job to do!"

Sukotto nodded as she followed Saimon. He turned to Stiltzkin. "Well, here's your chance to see what we can do. After you see how good we are, we can work something out as far as the tournament goes."

With that, Sukotto released his staff and hopped up the steps, a hesitant moogle following him.

---

_Mission #9: Protect the Julis!_

_Gorg has entrusted the care of his precious airship to you! Don't let the fiends damage it! And mind how messy you get on the deck: Gorg doesn't take kindly to people who scratch up his baby! ALLOW NO DAMAGE, ON PAIN OF DEATH!_

_Rewards: Safe passage to Cilicia._

_...GO!_

It was slightly cool on the deck of the _Julis_. Around the ship, mountains towered into the clouds, their near-invisible tips covered in snow. Below them, a small pathway of lesser mountains bore a sort of canal through the range, a canal that Gorg traversed twice a week. The airship moved at a strong pace, but a windshield in the front kept the group from being too buffeted by the winds.

"The radar's bin beepin' for a couple minutes now. Best be on yer guard."

Sukotto nodded. _We can only imagine what kind of fiends these are going to be… We'd better be prepared for anything_.

Stiltzkin shuddered. "I can sense them, kupo. They're almost here… and there's a lot of them… k-kupo…"

Meari smiled. "Don't worry, Stiltzkin-san! We won't let anything happen to you!"

"Or the ship." Saimon added, taking a look around the deck. "It'd be bad if this thing were to stop working."

Sukotto laughed nervously. "Saimon-kun. Can we not think about that right now?"

"AR! THER THEY BE!" Gorg pointed straight ahead, and the group wheeled around to look. Along the horizon, small dots of red were steadily approaching, a pair of wings visible on some of the closer ones.

"DRAGONS?!" Sukotto's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "You've got to be kidding me! Those are some of the more powerful fiends in the game… er… world!"

"Well, then, how do we beat them?" Meari looked to him. "How 'bout you tell those of us that _don't_ know anything about Final Fantasy?"

Saimon drew his swords. "They're strong against Fire, so don't use your Fireball. Blizzard-type attacks are their weak point, and their armour gives them an Auto-Protect..."

"Blizzard? Auto-Protect? Huh?" Meari danced nervously on the balls of her feet. "What does that all mean?"

Sukotto placed a hand on her shoulder and explained. "They're elements, if you will. There's Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Water attacks; you know, the basic stuff. But once you get to higher level spells, you deal with Break (rock and earth types), Gravity, Aero (which is like air), Holy, even super strong stuff like Demi and Death. The dragons use Fire breath attacks, so they naturally have fire-resistant bodies. In that case, they'd be weak against Fire's opposite, Blizzard. Since their scales are hard, that means they have a bolstered defence, so they have an Auto-Protect ability, too. Make sense?"

Meari nodded. "Can they have more than one weakness?"

Saimon tapped his head. "Um… maybe… Sukotto-kun? Do you remember?"

Sukotto thought for a moment. He cursed. "No, I don't. I'm pretty sure they had another one, though…"

"Heads up, kupo!" Stiltzkin shrieked, diving back to the safety of the hold.

The first wave of dragons had arrived. They were blood red, heavy armored scales adorning their backs and sides. Two non-powerful arms reached out in front of their extremely-powerful wings. Their spiked tails hung in the air behind them, and the claws at the ends of their powerful legs were not to go unnoticed.

"Hit the underbellies!" Saimon cried, running at the first as it reached the bow. As Sukotto began an incantation, Saimon swung with Hebishippo. The attack was blocked by the dragon's tail. Sparks flew, and Saimon jumped back as the tail whipped back for a second strike. "And watch out for the tail!"

"Right!" Meari had already engaged another dragon. As it tried to sweep her legs from under her, she flipped through the air, landing on the dragon's head. She drew a kunai from her pocket and plunged it into the fiend's head. A small eruption of blue blood splattered over the dragon's body.

"RREEAAAAGHHH!" A roar filled the air as the dragon teetered on the edge of the deck. As it attempted to regain balance, Meari lept from its head and, once at face-height with it, gave it a swift mid-air kick right between its eyes. It was knocked off the deck and plummeted to the ground.

"Yeah!" Meari did a small victory dance.

"Meari-chan! Don't celebrate just yet!" Saimon called out, slicing his own dragon with Ryuukiba. "We have plenty more to go, and you'll just make them angry!"

Another dragon, in a wave further back, roared at the death of its fellow. Its mouth began to glow with red light, and with a small charge in power, it sent a fireball hurtling at the ship's left engine.

"I got it!" Sukotto finished his incantation, striking a newly-transformed Sukotto Card. "_Shift the dimensions of space and invoke a change of heart! Return the attack to its sender! REDIRECT!"_

A red beam of light shot from the Card to the fireball. As the two energies collided, the fireball spread out as though it was trying to consume an invisible wall. With an equal amount of speed as it had entered, the fireball reformed and zoomed back to the dragon who had shot it. While the explosion did knock the dragon back a small ways, it was not damaged terribly, and continued to fly towards the ship.

"That one gave me a cool idea." Saimon lept back from his second enemy. "_Hebishippo! Extend and ensnare!_" Upon his command, the blue sword instantly stretched into a blue chain, glowing with energy. Saimon whipped it into the air and tossed it at the beast. It coiled around the dragon's foot.

"Sukotto-kun! Use the _Air_ and help me!" Saimon pointed to the dragon.

Sukotto stood dumbfounded for a moment. "What are you…" It went off like a light in his head. "Right. Got you!" He took out another Card. "_Create a strong wind to aid Saimon-kun! Air!_"

The spirit of a woman with long flowing hair appeared. Trailing long strands of moving air behind her, she summoned a gale around the dragon. As the beast began to get blown about by the gust, Saimon yanked on the chain and began to swing. His strength combined with the intense winds of the _Air_ caused the dragon to be swung around above Saimon's head, the ball to Saimon's chain.

With a war cry, Saimon released the dragon. The _Air_ still playing its part, the dragon spun through the air at a vicious speed. It slammed into two of its fellows with a sickening crunch. The three spun out, and fell to their deaths below.

"Alright, how many more?!" Saimon returned Hebishippo to its sword form and began his attack anew on another arriving beast.

"A lot!" Meari answered, flinging multiple kunai in the direction of one dragon. The ones that hit its armored scales left nothing but mere scratches; the ones that hit its wings, however, left more than a few bloody holes in their wakes.

"Can't the ship move any faster?!" Saimon hollered to Gorg.

"Faster? She could, if she had more fuel ta burn! If we use it all now, we won't be makin' it to Cilicia!"

Meari turned to him. "Would it go faster if I used a Fireball to super-heat the furnace?"

Gorg nodded. "Ay, that she would!"

Meari turned to the boys. "Find a way to protect the ship! If we hit a dragon while we're moving too fast, the ship might get wrecked!" With that, she disappeared into the hull.

Saimon rolled his eyes. "Any bright ideas, Sukotto-kun?"

Sukotto smiled. "Yeah, I have one." He brought out the _Air_ again. "I remembered the dragons' other weakness."

Saimon stabbed into the belly of the new enemy, kicking it off the front of the ship. "RIGHT! Aero is strong against flying monsters!"

"That's why our attack just now was so potent; Aero magic renders wings useless!"

Saimon smiled. "So, let's hurry up and make that shield!" He quickly wrought Hebishippo into his mist-like shield and placed it in front of the ship. "Charm the aura with the _Air_!"

Sukotto struck the Card once more. "_Combine with Hebishippo to form a wall of solid air! Grant us a guard from our assailants! AIR!_" The aura in front of them turned bright green, solidifying into a transparent wall.

Gorg nodded. "Ay! Ay! Missie! It's your turn!"

From down below, a cry of "Fireball Jutsu" was heard. At the same time, a rumble from the ships engine caused the whole deck to shake.

"Grab onto something, lads!" Gorg had already secured himself into his chair, and held a white-knuckled grip on the wheel.

The boys barely managed to grab the railing when, like a rocket, the ship blasted forwards, smoke and flame sprouting from the propellers. The dragons in front of them quickly had a change of heart. Attempting to flee, they were hit by the shield Sukotto and Saimon had constructed. The damage being too much for them, the fiends disintegrated into nothingness.

"We did it!" Sukotto cheered.

"Ugh… Oh, God… This is worse than the Tears." Saimon was looking a little green.

"Keep those hands glued to the railing, lads! We're not out of hot water yet!"

Saimon summoned up the strength to pull himself up to the railing's edge. From there, he could see the mountains whizzing past, their precarious rocky surfaces drifting closer and farther with every slight movement of the ship's rudder.

"Just close your eyes, Saimon-kun. I'm sure Gorg-san's a great driver! If you think about it too much, you'll just end up-"

"BBLLLEEARRGGG!"

"…doing that."

---

_What did you think? Even after all this, I still got it XD_

_At any rate, here's the aforementionned practical joke that I..._

_...evil Skittles pulled._

_Attention all faithful Owari readers._

_It is my sorrowful duty to tell you that, due to a large increase in my school work, swimming and other life areas, I will not be able to continue writing Owari._

_This hurts me a lot, as well. I'm so sorry for everything, but this has to be done so that I can continue on with my life. I have so many commitments and things going on in my life right now, that I cannot fulfill my duties to you as an author. Maybe one day, I'll be able to keep writing, but it doesn't look to good._

_OOHHH GOD! OKAY! I'M LYING! I LIED! PULLED ONE OVER YOU! TRIED TO TRICK YOU! LIES! ALL OF THEM!_

_I couldn't keep that up to save my life. Dear EMILY._

_No, I did however want to apologise for my amazing lack of posting in the general last two months. My school work has been OUT OF CONTROL due to a school trip and a few rather mean English teachers. I'm very sorry!!_

_  
I do, however, have two pieces of good news:_

_First of all, Owari has officially surpassed its one-year anniversary! YAY! It's one-year-old! I feel like a Daddy!!_

_Second, my outrageous amounts of homework are beginning to dwindle! YES! I do have one more week of work, a meet next weekend, but HEY! Then I should be relatively free to do as I wish! Hopefully, I'll be able to continue posting then! And I'll try to get a lot done in that time, because I have a bunch of amazing ideas that I need to get down RIGHT NOW!!1two5_

_Thanks so much for your patience! I promise, the next chapter will NOT be dumb and filler…_

_  
Nor will it be a sick, sadistic joke. This I promise you._

_My brain cannot handle another lie like that._

_Happy Reading, Happy Anniversary, and a Merry Mooch Day to you all!_

_Skittles!_

---

Fufufufufufufu.

I'm so evil...

I mean... Evil Skittles is...

...Alright, just leave me alone.

Happy Reading!


	48. The Coliseum of Cilicia

_Before you read, I just want to make sure you've read Chapter 48 already._

_I realise that might sound... a bit boneheaded..._

_But I DID put a chapter in there. You wouldn't have gotten the Chapter Alert because I updated it instead of skipping a chapter._

_Because that would be dumb XD_

_So, just to clear things up, Chapter 48: Read it._

_Awesome._

_And now, my rant ends._

---

"Did I over-do it a bit?" Meari asked, concern clear on her face.

"It be little damage, Missy," Gorg said, as he inspected the furnace, "but it be damage enough. We'll make it ta Cilicia, but no farther."

Meari bit her finger. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wreck it! I just thought the faster we got out of there, the better! So I just kind of put more effort into it than usual and…"

Gorg raised en eyebrow. "I'm sure ya didn' mean ter break it, but break it you did. I'll be needin' ya to pay to fix 'er up."

Sukotto swallowed nervously. "Um… I don't know if we can…"

Stiltzkin stepped in. "Gorg, if I may, kupo? These warriors are going to be entered in the tournament coming up in Cilicia. I have faith that they'll be able to win the prize money, kupo. Would you be able to wait a few days for that payment?"

Saimon shot a glance to the moogle. "So, what? Now you're certain that we'll win?"

Stiltzkin smiled. "I haven't heard of another warrior being able to defeat a party of dragons like that, kupo. If you can do that, I'm sure this tournament may not prove impossible for you." He turned back to Gorg. "What about it, kupo?"

Gorg thought for a moment. "Don't got another shipment fer four days. The tourney done by then?"

Stiltzkin nodded. "I'm sure it will be." He turned to the group. "As long as one of you wins the tournament, you'll be able to pay Gorg for the engine and buy the map, kupo. If I put money on all three of you, I should be able to make a fairly decent profit, too."

Meari giggled. "You know, it's weird to hear you talking about gambling. You're so cute and all."

Stiltzkin turned to her. "I use that to my advantage. No one takes me for a serious gambler; they all think they're making easy money." He rubbed his paws together. "It's amazing how much a simple misjudgement can cost your regular Joe, kupo." He snickered.

And so began one of the most awkward silences in Sukotto's life.

---

It was that late afternoon, as Sukotto was taking a nap on the bridge, the capital city came into view.

"'Kotto-kun! Look! LOOK!" Meari shook him awake. "It looks beautiful!"

Sukotto stood up stupidly for a moment, wondering what she was talking about. He quickly shook off the sleep and joined her and Saimon at the bow.

On the horizon, many large buildings towered above the ground. They were made of whitest brick and sandstone; towers, skyscrapers, large dome-roofed complexes. Surrounding these amazing structures, many smaller brown and white houses stood, a beautiful array of streets and markets filling in the spaces in between. To the east, a vast ocean stood, upon which a harbour housed many ships and crafts of all sizes.

But at the centre of the city, the most marvellous sight awaited the group's eyes. A collection of towers, turrets and walls, surrounded a grand palace, its flawlessly smooth walls adorned at the top by roofs of gold. A moat surrounded its exterior wall, a golden-gate archway its sole entrance. A beautiful courtyard lay inside it, and many exquisite fountains adorned it's walkways.

"It's beautiful!" Meari squealed, grabbing Sukotto's sleeve and shaking it. "I can't believe it! OH! LOOK!" She pointed to the west of the castle. "Is that the Coliseum?! It looks just like something from Rome! OH!" She giggled. "It's unbelievable!"

"Yeah, I know!" Sukotto smiled. "I'm excited to go check out those shops… once we have some money, that is!"

"Sai-kun! Are you looking?"

"Uh… yeah…" Since the experience after the dragons, Saimon had been rather reluctant to bring his nose above the railing. "It looks great… uugghh…"

Sukotto laughed, Meari's giddiness rubbing off on him. As he turned to explore the city's rooftops further, something caught his eye.

It was visible only for a moment, a building in the way quickly masked it from view. Standing out from the whites and soft browns of Cilicia, a black pillar made of rock stuck out from the ground like a sinister thorn. The plentiful sunlight that seemed to flood the rest of the city neglected this area, giving its surroundings around it a very ominous feeling. Sukotto did not like the way it looked; it seemed unjust to have such an eyesore in a beautiful city like this.

"Whatch'ya looking at?" Meari nudged his shoulder. "See something?"

"Yeah, I think… It was a-"

"A'ight, lads and missy! We be landing now!" Gorg called out to them from behind the wheel. "Best get yerselves to the hull!"

With a collective nod (and a weak sigh of relief from Saimon), the group returned to the hull, excited to enter the new city.

---

The market place was a bustling street, full of sweet smells, fresh fruit, interesting crowds and, of course, glinting swords and staves on display. Sukotto had been correct earlier; the groups assorted costumes fit in perfectly with the strange garments of the worldly inhabitants. In fact, they seemed to be some of the more plainly dressed ones there.

The group was being led by a flying Stiltzkin through the crowd, the Coliseum looming towards them. "We'll be there shortly, kupo. Try to hurry; I'm not sure how long the registration lasts."

However, hurrying was not exactly on the agenda.

"Wow, COOL! Look at these NulBlaze Rings! That'd be helpful if we ran into more dragons!"

"Oh, they sell kunai here, too! I might need to restock!"

"Look at that! New key chains! And they have an Auto-Shell, too!"

"Would that cap match my robe, you think?"

"Oh, that ribbon looks nice! I could wear that in my hair…"

"Now that I think about it, I don't have any gauntlets…"

"Are you LISTENING, KUPO?!" Stiltzkin was obviously frustrated. "We need to move it, kupo!"

"Right, sorry!"

"Sorry!"

"Seriously, I think gauntlets would be a good idea!"

Their attention somewhat more focused (some more than others,) the three and the moogle arrived at the Coliseum.

It really did look like something out of Rome. Three-story-walls lined with open arches surrounded a circular arena, invisible to the outside. A dome-shaped roof covered the top; it, of course, was made of gold, much like the palace. At its front, statues depicted more than one heroic-looking warrior; some of which looked horribly familiar.

"Is that… Cloud?!" Saimon pointed to the foremost one, depicting a tall man with spiky hair and a sword as tall as the statute himself. "So, is this a Final Fantasy VII world? It'd have to be, right?"

Sukotto shook his head. "Nope. Cilicia wasn't a name of a town in that one. Besides, look at that statue there!" Opposite Cloud, a strange beast stood. It looked almost like a lion standing on two legs, a broken horn adorning its forehead. In his hand, a long spear lay as though waiting to be thrown. "That one's Kimahri, from FFX!" He paused. "Wait… But that doesn't make sense…"

The boys were getting a strange look from Stiltzkin. "Um… don't mind us. Just an inside joke!" Sukotto laughed nervously. "Oh, look! The registration table!" Sukotto quickly ran over to it, his friends following.

"Name?" A cute girl with a whacky brunette hairdo and a bright green dress winked at him as he approached.

"Uh… Suchuwa Sukotto!" He told her, mustering up his confidence.

"Right. And what would your class be?" She inquired.

This stumped him for a moment. _Well, I guess Summoner would be best. I could pass off the Cards as aeons… or wait… would it be eidolons? It's tough not knowing which game this is!_ "Summoner." He brought out his Cards. "These act as proof of the Pact."

"Right! Good!" The lady produced a mask from under the table. "This mask is proof of your registration, and also must be worn during all matches. To protect from scarring, of course."

Sukotto gulped. "Right, thank you!" He accepted the mask, and turned it over. "I wonder what-" He stopped as an orange beak and a yellow face greeted his eager eyes. "…My mask is a duck?"

The girl shrugged. "Summoners all wear flying-bird masks. Which one you get is just chance. Don't worry; the warriors won't underestimate you as a result!"

_Fat chance of that…_ He thanked the woman, and returned to Stiltzkin, waiting for the others to finish up.

"If you want, kupo, you can go check out the entrant list over there." Stiltzkin indicated a list posted to the wall of the Coliseum. "See who you're up against."

"Great. Tell the guys where I am." Sukotto stashed the mask inside his robes and ran forward to the list. _I wonder if I'll know anyone_.

A few of the names did ring a bell, many of them from Final Fantasy IX, the only instalment he had actually beaten. Among the names he recognised, there was Zidaine, Zorn and Thorn, Steiner, Quina and Bellatrix. _I guess that's a good advantage, then! I'll already know what they're capable of!_

At that time, Meari and Saimon came over. Sukotto turned to them. "Oh, how'd it go? Did you get good-" His question was interrupted by a frog and a dog mask shoved into his face.

"Why a frog?" Meari asked, looking at it. "It's cute, I guess, but…" She sighed. "I was hoping for something a little better."

"I'm a freakin' puppy dog." Saimon sighed. "This is going to be embarrassing. What'd you get?"

Sukotto produced his duck mask. "Nothing any better than yours." He quickly returned it to his hiding place. "I guess that's the price we pay for not getting in early, right?"

Saimon rolled his eyes. "Maybe God just hates us." He looked at the list, muttering to himself as he went down. He paused. "Wait, what the hell?! We have Final Fantasy IX now?! I'm starting to think they're ALL in this world!" He stopped. "Wait… Um… Sukotto-kun? You may want to take a look at this."

Sukotto stepped up behind Saimon and drew closer to the list. Indicated by Saimon's finger, a name stood among the later entries.

"You… you don't think?"

"I do think." Sukotto clenched a fist. "It's not exactly a name you'd find in Final Fantasy, right?"

"Well, I don't know about that… But yeah, I don't think it would just be coincidence."

Sukotto touched the name with his finger, feeling a new sense of determination welling up inside of his gut.

_Who else would put their name down as "Libra?"_

_---_

_Ohh ohh ohh! I know someone who'll be itching to get to the next chapter!_

_Mother:) _

_(Inside joke, maybe I'll explain it in a later chapter. But just accept it as reality for now XD)_

_Aren't you proud of me?! My homework is back under control, so I can post more often again! WOOT!_

_Although, I seem to have this terrible little "catch-up, fall behind" rhythm going on. I don't like it._

_But I won't annoy you with my rambling (anymore...)_

_Happy Reading!_


	49. All This World's a Stage

_Dear me, I'm getting inconsistent._

_Ah, well, that's the party scene for you XD_

_At any rate, hi! Welcome back! I've been good; busy, but good._

_This is a long one, because I'm trying to keep the Coliseum short and sweet. I'd rather not have this world last another thirty chapters. :)_

_I'll be updating Chapter Three pretty quickly, so keep an eye out for that, too!_

_Enjoy!_

"Welcome, spectators, to the 67th Annual Cilicia Coliseum Tournament!" A cute woman in a pink dress addressed the fans, a microphone magnifying her voice for all to hear. She stood in the centre of the sand-filled arena, while rows upon rows of cheering crowds stood upon raised seats. The arena itself was completely enclosed by the large walls below the audience, broken only by two caged entrances, on either side of the circle.

"In just a moment, we'll begin with the preliminary rounds! Each pair of combatants has been randomly matched, and placed in random order! We'd just like to remind our participants (and the audience) of the rules!"

The girl produced a scroll from her dress pocket and read aloud, shaking her long blonde hair from her eyes. "Any weapon and magic spell may be used in this tournament. Items will not be allowed; however, in the case of a Summoner, proof of pacts may be used to call upon their specific Djinni!" She took a breath. "In response to many deaths of last year's tournament, we have established a new judging system for this year!" She indicated a panel in the audience, under a shaded archway. "Once they see that a combatant is unable to continue, they will stop the match and declare a winner!

"Please note that, due to this, any techniques that may kill or permanently injure an opponent are strongly discouraged!" She winked to the crowd. "With that, I turn your attention to the Royal Box, where our presiding Queen will begin the ceremonies!" The announcer indicated the box just above the judges, where, upon the throne, a beautiful raven-haired girl stood.

"I wish all our fighters today the best of luck in their trials!" Garnet (or more commonly known as Dagger) acknowledged the crowd. "I hereby announce this year's tournament…" She raised a hand towards the unlit torches in the stadium. "…OPEN!"

Obediently, golden flames erupted from the torches, and without further ado, the gates in the arena slid open.

---

Behind one of these gates, Sukotto was none too thrilled. He had heard every word the announcer had spoken, and it gave him little confidence.

_People DIED?!_ _They could've put me with anyone! Who's to say it's not some crazy, bloodthirsty demon from some swamp that eats people for breakfast?! Don't they even have some sort of background check on fighters to be safe?!_

He rubbed his temples, slowing his racing heartbeat. Taking a deep breath, he turned his thoughts to a more positive point of view. _Well, I guess it's not really the first time I've had someone on my heels trying to kill me. I just need to do what I've always done._ He smiled. _…Wait…_ He recalled to his adventure thus far._ I've pretty much just been running away this whole time…_

His attempt to comfort himself shattered at that moment. He began to curse under his breath ("OOOOHHH MMMYYYY GOODDDDD") as the iron gate in front of him slowly ground open, and the crowd began to cheer. His heart was beating in his throat: he felt sick, too.

A shaking hand placed his duck mask on his sweat-damp face. _Alright, Sukotto. Come on. You can do this. Deep breaths. Just walk outside. One leg in front of the other; that's it._

So he continued on, his forced march carrying him into the centre of the arena. He looked around at the crowd gathered. _Big turn out. And I'm the centre of attention… _For some strange and backwards reason, this helped to relax him a bit. _It's just like being on a stage…_ He smiled. _And Sai-kun and Meari-chan are in there too, somewhere._

Before he could search them out, his opponent stepped into the ring. The person in question (from what Sukotto could see, a man) wore a blue vest and baggy jeans. Large gloves with comically over-sized cuffs held two twisted daggers, and a thin hair-less tail curled its way behind him. He sported a monkey mask, his long blonde bangs covering the sides of his head.

_I know him! _Sukotto nearly squealed. _It's Zidane! Oh MY GOD! _It felt like he was meeting a celebrity. _But I guess this isn't the time to get star-struck..._

"Alright, then." The thief held out his hand. "Let's get going!" Sukotto accepted the handshake (and nearly fainted doing so). "I can't let you win this one; Dagger's watching."

Sukotto looked up to the Royal Booth. The Queen was smiling, looking at Zidane with extreme fondness. _Right, those two had the whole love connection going on._

The announcer's voice rang out once again in the stadium. "Ready! ROUND 1, BEGIN!"

It was instantaneous. Before he could register the movement, Zidane was already running at Sukotto, daggers at the ready. Sukotto had no chance; Zidane sliced at him.

"Argh!" Sukotto was knocked back, a wound opening on his left forearm. He brought up his staff in defence; Zidane had already come for a second strike.

Sukotto and Zidane began a complicated series of swings and parries. Zidane was mainly on the offensive, providing hit after hit to Sukotto's already weakening defences.

_This won't hold out long. _Sukotto brought up a Card with his other hand. _If I could just knock him off balance, maybe I'd enough time to cast._

Choosing a break between Zidane's strikes, Sukotto brought his staff forward as Zidane's hand flew down once more. The two hits connected, and the thief, unsuspecting of the force, was slightly thrown off balance. Sukotto had his chance.

"_Charge my staff with the power of the sun! Give me-"_

"WHAT THE-?!" Zidane's eyes widened as something over Sukotto's shoulder grabbed his attention. Sukotto wheeled around, ready to face the oncoming onslaught of some unknown enemy-

"Gotcha!" Zidane's teasing voice called at as Sukotto was knocked to the ground with a strong kick.

"What… Did you…?!" Sukotto spat some sand from his mouth. "Wait… No… That's one of your techniques, isn't it?"

Zidane smiled, perching himself on top of Sukotto's back. "I call it '**What's That?!**'" He laughed and struck a dramatic hero pose. "I'm more than just a thief! I'm also quite the actor." He nodded. "Ever heard of the Tantalus Acting Troupe?"

Sukotto groaned. "I should've known." He thrust his staff upwards, swatting Zidane off his back. "I forgot that even thieves had special techniques."

Zidane nodded. "So, then, you've forgotten about this one, too?" A glowing sphere appeared in his hand. "_Thievery!_"

Before the thief, a giant treasure chest appeared. The lid slowly opened, releasing a dangerous ball of energy, The floating sphere hovered slowly toward Sukotto. The mage, knowing what this technique entailed, leapt out of the way; a second later, a giant explosion filled the air in which he had been standing.

Sukotto gulped a rather large lump in his throat. "Oh, God…" Wiping his forehead off with the back of his hand, he quickly calculated that, at this rate, the battle would not last much longer. _I need to activate a Card, but he moves too fast. And if he pulls another Thievery when I'm casting, my goose is cooked._

Ignoring the irony that was his duck mask, he searched his brain for a plan. His eyes wandered to the crowd. _It's just like being on a stage..._

Sukotto pulled a fresh Card from his robes. "That's it, thief! You've forced me to resort to my secret Trump Card!" He thrust the Card in front of him; it hovered there, awaiting release. "This spells your demise!"

Zidane jumped slightly. "Wh-wh-whoa! Hold on, there! That's WHAT?!"

Sukotto laughed loudly. "You'll regret entering this tournament!" His spell circle burst into life under him. The wind picked up as the casting began. "_Hear me, mighty God of Wind! Come forth!_"

Zidane acted in the blink of an eye. Before the mage could even finish casting, the Card was swiped from his reach, and in the hand of the thief. Sukotto felt a familiar pang as he saw the Card be snatched away.

"That was a close one!" Zidane inspected the Card. "You said this thing summoned the God of Wind, right?" He flicked the Card. "Does it have an _on_ switch?"

Sukotto shook his head. "No, you have to activate it-" He drew back his staff. "-LIKE THIS!" With that, he whipped his staff forward-

-and released it, hurtling it through the air towards the Card Zidane was holding. The tip of the staff began to glow as Sukotto began to chant. "_Create a binding chain of Wind! Trap Zidane within your mighty grip! AI-_"

Sukotto choked on his words. Zidane, other hand outstretched, his daggers in their sheathes, had caught Sukotto's staff as well. "Aww yeah! Check it out!" Zidane held the two weapons in his hands. "Talk about that skill!" He laughed.

The mage's jaw dropped. "WHAT?! ARE YOU FOR REAL?!" His fists clenched. "GIVE THAT BACK!"

Zidane shook his head. "You said it worked like this, right?" Zidane tapped the Card with Sukotto's staff.

Sukotto smiled.

"_AIR!_" A green glow burst from the Card. Zidane, realizing his mistake too late, dropped the Card and staff, but to no avail. The spirit of a green woman with long flowing hair was already circling the stadium, whipping a gale of wind and sand in her wake.

"You're not the only one who can act, Zidane." Sukotto smiled, walking forward and picking up his staff. "The Card listens to he who has his name upon it." He indicated the Sukotto Card. "Thievery has its price." Sukotto swung his staff violently towards Zidane. "_GO_!"

Strands of green light shot from the Air's gale, entwining Zidane. His wrists and ankles were bound, and without the daggers in his hand, he was unable to cut himself free; he was trapped.

"The Monkey Fighter can no longer continue!" The announcer called out from the sidelines. "The Duck Fighter claims victory of Round 1!"

---

Sukotto and Zidane shook hands in the centre of the arena.

"It was a really good fight." Sukotto nodded. Wincing, he shot a look to his forearm. "I hope it doesn't take me too long to heal up."

Zidane rolled his eyes. "Ah, don't worry about it. The nurses here all know high-level Cure magic. You'll be all good in no time." His eyes narrowed as he inspected Sukotto. "Although, it's weird."

Sukotto raised an eyebrow. "What is?"

The thief folded his arms. "Well, I don't remember meeting you before. It's pretty clear that you haven't heard of Tantalus, and the tournament officials wouldn't give you my identity. And yet, you managed to recognize me even before I used my signature **Thievery**… You even knew about my special techniques. How do you know all that?"

Sukotto began to sweat. "Um… er… well… That is to say…"

Zidane drew in closer to Sukotto. "Do you… do you know a friend of mine…?"

"Well, I'm kind of new to the area…"

Zidane regarded Sukotto for a long time. He said in a whisper; he was almost talking to himself. "She told me about someone, a while back… You fit that description pretty nicely…"

"Wait… You know-"

"No… no…" Zidane turned away. "Don't tell me." He folded his arms. "If you know anything, it's probably better that you keep it to yourself. I'll just pretend we didn't have this discussion." He looked back to Sukotto. "I'd rather not be the one to have to hunt her down, you know?"

Sukotto frowned. "What's going on, Zidane? Why is Ro-"

A sharp look made Sukotto stop mid-sentence. "If I were you, I wouldn't go around asking about her. Just because I don't want her to get caught doesn't mean everyone else feels the same way." He nodded. "You're a good actor, Sukotto. Pretend you don't know who she is, for now." With that, he left Sukotto in the arena, feeling very confused.

_Roren-chan… Do you know Zidane? Did you tell him about me? Why are _they _hunting you down?_

_What's going on?_

_---_

_Oh the intrigue!_

_I'm such an amazing actor :D_

_Did I trick you? Maybe? Move you to tears? Inspire you?_

_lol Well, that's about it. No Omake this time around. I've got no ideas for that as of right now._

_Which brings me to an important point: if you have something you'd like to see in an Omake, please tell me!_

_It'd be fun to write!! And read! And it would certainly save me a whole lot of thinking time._

_For those who don't know: "thinking time" is spent spinning in my swivel chair, so that would mean a lot less nausea for me and whoever happens to be watching me at the time._

_See? We all win!_

_Whichever means so fits you: e-mail, PM (REVIEWAHEM)_

_Now that I'm done with that (and I know that a CERTAIN SOMEONE is going to review and say "Write an Omake based on Sukotto and Saimon and maple syrup!!!1two5)(snortgigglecoughmusclespasm)_

_Happy Reading!_


	50. Getting Warmer, Getting Colder

_YAY! Another chapter!_

_Brought to you courtesy of Skittles' Math homework time!_

"_We'll get it done! EVENTUALLY!"_

_These battles sure do take a while. Although, I like when I keep them in one chapter as opposed to spreading them out over two. Makes these worlds seem a lot shorter :D_

_I do need to get my online course done, though. Then it will stop getting in my way when I want to write._

_I might even start CSI: Hyrule back up again. God knows how long some people have been waiting for that one._

_But I'm straying away from the point._

_Enjoy!_

Sukotto and Meari watched as another match finished. The two combatants were escorted off the arena to the cheers and jeers of the audience. Saimon, who had left to prepare for his fight, was probably behind one of those iron doors right now.

"You think they're ever gonna start this next round?" Meari yawned, restless in her seat. "I've been sitting up here all day! The fighting's been fun to watch and all, but c'mon! I wanna stretch my legs a bit!"

Sukotto laughed nervously. "Trust me, I'd rather be up here than down there. It's not as fun as it is to watch. I was a bundle of nerves."

"Right. We definitely couldn't see that from up here." She laughed. "I hope Sai-kun's not too nervous. What do you think?"

Sukotto nodded. "Well, I mean, come on. He's about to risk his life in here. Not to mention serious injury. And the sand is so fine, I wouldn't be surprised if he caught an infection from an open wound. That's not even taking into account-"

"OKAY OKAY OKAY! It's dangerous! Thanks for sharing!" Meari hit Sukotto's head with considerable force. "Don't go making me get worried!"

Sukotto groaned. "Well, I don't like it either! It's the truth, though." He folded his arms and looked on to the iron doors below him. "I just hope he's not too worked up."

---

"Gngh. Huh? Wah?" Saimon awoke from his nap behind the gates. "Oh, time to go already?"

_You are not nervous_, _Saimon-san?_

"Huh?" He looked down to the hilts of his trusted swords. "Nah. Not really. I've been through worse."

_You are a brave human, Saimon-san._

"I don't know about that. I have you guys. So I'm not nervous. You've never let me down before." He clenched his fist, testing out his body for any sore spots. "Besides, since I walked in this arena, I've been feeling pretty good." He did a few side stretched to illustrate the point.

_I, as well. This place certainly has a strengthening aura about it._

"But, the thing is, no one else feels anything. I talked to Meari-chan back in Sukotto-kun's match, and she didn't feel squat." He scratched his head. "Are we imagining things?"

_I do not believe so. I feel it is in our best interest to use this strength to our advantage._

"Which reminds me; I have the two swords, but it's always you who's talking to me. Which are you, Ryuukiba or Hebishippo?"

_I am neither, but I am both, as well._

"Great. A riddle." Saimon sighed.

_Worry not, young one. It will become clear._

"Good. Riddles aren't my strong point." He stared ahead as the iron gates creaked open. "Okay, let's go."  
With that, he pulled his dog mask on, walked out into the arena and drew his blades. His opponent was already awaiting him in the centre.

"Good luck to you, I wish." A short man with a squeaky high-pitched voice greeted him. He was dressed in red and white motley, and looked much like a medieval jester. Upon his face, a butterfly mask stood out in beautiful contrast to his unflattering attire.

"Yeah, you too. I guess." Saimon bent his knees as the announcer signaled the beginning of the match.

"Point in waiting, there is none." The jester raised his right hand, which was beginning to collect a ball of shadowy energy, A spell circle appeared beneath him, and Saimon felt the air around him crackling with magic.

_Saimon-san, I fear the worst! This fool has a wicked air about him!_

"Yeah, tell me about it!" Saimon ran at the man, Ryuukiba drawing back to attack. "Hold that thought, Clown Boy!"

"Too late, it is!" With a crack, the mage (as Saimon had gauged) brought down his hand. A flash of light appeared, and the jester was suddenly not alone.

"Now you face us both!" A second jester, this one sporting blue motley and a moth mask stood beside the first.

"Wait, what? But…HEY!" Before Saimon could slow his advance, the new challenger sent a shot of ice magic at him. The impact knocked Saimon back a bit, but he was mostly unharmed.

"THAT WAS COLD!" Saimon screamed as he shook the feeling back into his fingers.

"One moment!" The announcer's voice echoed over the arena. "This new fighter is not a Djinni! The fight is now two against one, and this is in direct violation of the tournament rules!"

"We know that!"

"That, we know!" The two jesters cried in unison. "A plan, we have!" With that, the two jesters raised their hands together. This time, however, Saimon's efforts to stop them could not even be started; their casting time had reduced drastically.

Two separate beams of light shot into the air; one red hot, the other icy blue. The two met at the top of the arena, and began to spread down and around, as though covering an invisible dome. Quickly, the entire arena was cut off from the spectators and judges alike, a layer of lava and ice fusing into hard molten rock. Saimon was sealed in.

"Now you have no hope for escape!"

"Your swords, we will take!"

"My swords?!" Saimon tightened his grip on the hilts of his weapons. "What do you want them for?!"

The red jester laughed a horrible high-pitched squeal. "Ready, Zorn?"

"Zorn's ready! Are you ready, Thorn?"

"Ready, Thorn is!"

Saimon rolled his eyes. "That's getting old pretty fast. You guys remind me of some other people I know." He frowned. _And they're hard as hell to beat. Damn it…_

Zorn began to glow. Blue aura was being absorbed from the air around him. At the same instant, Saimon felt the air around him begin to get slightly warmer. _He's absorbing the cold?!_

_Saimon-san, be wary! His magic strength is increasing. In another minute, he will have reached the level of a Lightning Blade!_

"Shit. Definitely not good!" Saimon looked to the other mage, who was not glowing, but rather standing in front of his opposite. "I guess he's going to protect that Zorn guy."

_We have no choice. We must remove the red one before we can stop the blue fool._

"Right." Saimon rushed forward. "Okay, then! You're the first one to go!" He brought up Hebishippo.

"Not, I think! _Fire_!" Thorn shot a fireball from his hand. But Saimon was ready for this one.

"_Hebishippo! Defend!_" The aura that now surrounded Saimon caught the fireball with ease and smothered it. "_Fly!" _The aura recollected in Saimon's arms, and shot out as a blue chain. It caught Thorn in a strong grasp.

"Ever flown before?" Saimon easily swung the fool's weight into the air. He released, sending the red projectile slamming into the rock wall above them. "Because, I'll tell you, that motion sickness is torture!"

Saimon turned towards Zorn with Ryuukiba at the ready. As he charged into striking distance, Zorn backstepped from his reach, his casting abruptly stopping. The air around Saimon cooled once more.

"Great. Now go join your brother… or twin… or whatever the hell kind of freak he is!" Saimon raised Hebishippo and-

_Wait… why can I see my breath?_ Saimon stopped, steam escaping in small huffs from his mouth. _Oh shit, it's getting cold in here… Which means…_

He turned too late. Thorn was standing at the edge of the rock wall, a giant meteor floating above him.

"_Meteor!_" The spell shot towards Saimon, its searing heat overwhelming Saimon. It hit its target dead on, sending him crashing through the far wall. Second-degree burns covered his arms, and the smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils.

"Sh-shit." He slumped against the ground. "That… was not good."

_I'm here, young one._

Strength began to seep from the swords into Saimon's body. He slowly got to his feet. He lightly tapped his arms with a finger. A fresh wave of stinging pain assaulted his nerves. He choked down a cry. "They're messed up bad… But I can keep going."

_The air! It's growing hot! Watch out!_

Saimon looked up. At the opposite end of the arena, Zorn was preparing his ice spell once again. _Damn. Thorn burnt me so bad, I can't even feel the air temperature! How long has he been charging that attack?!_

Zorn laughed loudly. "You cannot dodge this!" He sucked in a deep breath. "_ICY MIST!_" Exhaling, a gust of freezing wind rushed at Saimon.

_"Defend!_" The gust met with Saimon's aura shield. Saimon concentrated all his defenses in front of him, but it fought with the might of an avalanche. His extremities went numb, and he shivered violently against the snow and ice that had accumulated on his person.

The onslaught ended, and Saimon collapsed. "Damn it… damn it…" As he looked down, he saw that his feet were frozen into the ground. "I need to get out of this, fast."

"Pay attention, you should!"

"Your time is up!"

Saimon looked on either side of him. Both jesters were beginning to charge their magic once again. There would be no surviving either one of those attacks; Saimon needed a plan, and fast.

_I could break this ice off easy enough. But which one do I interrupt? I can't stop both!_

_Yes, you can, Saimon-san!_

_They're too far apart! Sure, I could hit one easily, but the second strike is too fast and unpredictable! I'd miss for sure!_

_Think, young one! They are not absorbing simply heat and cold! It is the mana that they are taking in!_

Saimon stopped for a moment. _What's the air like right now?_

_It is neither hot nor cold._

Saimon's eyes widened. _Because they're both absorbing equal amounts of mana, the air temperature is staying the same. Their range is at least as large as the arena, otherwise I wouldn't have felt it when Thorn used Meteor that first time._

He looked at the two jesters on either side. _Yeah, I think I've got something figured out._

"Okay!" Here we go!" Saimon slammed Hebishippo into the ice below him. It shattered, breaking his numb legs free. "Ryuukiba! Hebishippo! Help me move!" He had a curious feeling of warmth in his legs, which began to move on their own. He ran to the centre of the arena, directly in between the two jesters.

"Too late, it is!"

"It is too late!"

"We'll see!" Saimon brought Ryuukiba and Hebishippo forward, focusing on the small blue figure in front of him. "_Ryuukiba! Be as lightning, striking fast and without warning!" _Saimon felt a powerful sensation ripple throughout his body as he began to glow. His light rivalling that of the two jesters on either side, he finished the incantation._ "Hebishippo! Be as thunder, striking after lightning with your might!_" The telltale sparks flew off his body as the glow was pushed into his legs and swords.

"_ICY MIST!_"

"_STORM CANNON_!"

In a flash, Zorn was thrown against the wall behind him. Once his casting had ended, the temperature of the arena dropped instantly. Saimon spun on his heel and brought up Hebishippo.

"_METE-_" Lightning dropped suddenly from the rock dome around the arena. Thorn was briefly illuminated in its light, and then dropped to the ground in a smoking mess.

Saimon stood up, panting heavily. "You were drawing your power from that rock dome the entire time, weren't you? You pumped that thing so full of mana, your attacks wouldn't require you to draw it in from far-away distances. That's why the air temperature would change so drastically when you used an attack."

Zorn twitched weakly from the wall behind Saimon "You… how?"

"I shot the dome with my own mana. Since both of you were drawing the same amount at the same time, it wasn't moving very fast. But, when Zorn stopped casting, most of the energy shifted towards Thorn, which is why my lightning was able to move so fast."

Thorn gave a quiet squeal. "Beat us, he did. Now, what will we do?"

Zorn got awkwardly to his feet. "We still have much more mana left in the dome! It will only take a second to-"

"Yeah, about that."

At that moment, with a sickening crack, the rock dome around the combatants shattered into a million small boulders.

"There you have it." Extending Ryuukiba's shield on top of him, he waved to the two. "I hope you survive. I want to know why you wanted Ryuukiba and Hebishippo, and it's hard for dead people to talk."

_---_

_I don't think Saimon-kun is reading this. If he was, he would NOT be too happy with how many times I've beaten him to near death._

_Haha. It's probably better that way. He's the only reckless friend I have, sadly, so I doubt much will change in future chapters._

_But HEY! 50 chapters! I hear that's a big thing!_

_YAY! What did you all get me? I hope nothing too expensive!_

_XD Screw my fantasies._

_Happy Reading!_


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